Convicted war criminals will be dropped from the voters’ list soon as parliament on Sunday enacted the Voters’ Roll (Amendment) Act 2013.
The House passed the Voters’ Roll (amendment) Bill 2013 by voice vote in the absence of the main opposition BNP, the political ally of Bangladesh Jaamat-e-Islami that has the highest number of war criminals facing trial.
Jamaat opposed Bangladesh’s birth in 1971 and sided with the Pakistani occupation forces in committing crimes against humanity.
The constitution of Bangladesh has an article that restricts the voting rights of those proved to have committed such crimes.
The bill proposed inserting a section saying persons convicted under the Bangladesh Collaborators (special tribunals) Act 1973 and the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 would not be included in the voters’ list.
If already included, convicted persons will be dropped from the voters’ list, says the bill.
A person relinquishing Bangladeshi nationality and declared insane by a court will also be dropped from the voters’ roll, according to the section four of the proposed law.
National ID card registration law passed
The House also passed a law to amend the voters’ roll act aimed at giving all citizens the national ID cards, which was previously given to adult people.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed proposed its passage and the House enacted it by voice vote.
According to the bill, the Election Commission will be the authority to issue ID cards to Bangladesh nationals.
The military-led interim government of Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed first initiated the process to provide national ID cards to voters – nationals above 18 years of age.
The voters’ identity cards are used for many official purposes although not mandatory always.
Complexity in official procedure often arises as people below 18 cannot submit their ID cards.
