The draft for amending the International Crimes Tribunal Act, keeping a provision to bring organisations involved with crimes against humanity to justice, will be tabled at the cabinet’s first meeting after Eid-ul-Azha.
The amendment draft is also expected to propose reducing the number of ICT tribunals.
The next cabinet meeting will be held on October 13 after around a month due to the prime minister’s visit to the US to join the United Nations General Assembly and an officials tour to the UK.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune last week, officials at the Law Ministry and Cabinet Division said the ministry has already sent the draft to the cabinet division.
Last month, Law Minister Anisul Haq said: “We have prepared the draft of amending the law carefully so that it remains error-free. It was already sent to the cabinet division. I hope it will tabled in the cabinet meeting after Eid.”
“There is no option but to amend the ICT Act to try Jamaat-e-Islami as an organisation involved in war crimes,” he added.
Asked on provisions allowing bail for the accused, the minister refused to make further comments and said: “Nothing has been finalised yet. It may take more time to finalise it. The cabinet will finalise all of the provisions that would be kept in the law. The media will be informed about the amendments.”
In March last year, investigators of crimes against humanity finalised a report against Jamaat, but could not submit it to the tribunal as there is no provision for trying any organisation under the ICT Act, 1973.
According to proposal of the ministry, the word ‘organisation’ will be included next to the word ‘persons’ or ‘individuals’ in the Section 20(2) of ICT Act.
In this section, words such as ‘individuals or organizations responsibility’ will also be added.
It will also keep a provision where the ICT could take offences in cognizance if any organisation found guilty.
According to the draft, the proposal of reducing the number of tribunals into one from existing two was also kept in the draft.
The ministry also considers dissolving a court of the ICT as the numbers of crimes against humanity cases have already been lessened. At the same time, the ICT prosecution team may also be reorganised.
