President Zillur Rahman
President
Zillur Rahman signed the amended International Crimes Tribunal law on
Monday, a day after the parliament passed some major changes in the act.Officials from the Parliament Secretariat went to Bangabhaban for the president’s approval to the law that empowered the tribunals to try various organisations alongside individuals for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
The amendment, a key demand of campaigners for the war crimes trials and the Shahbagh protesters, was made during passage of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, amendment bill yesterday.
The changes would have retrospective effect from July 14, 2009.
After the president’s approval, it was sent to the press for gazette notification.
The bill also empowered the government, informants and complainants to appeal against any verdict of the war crimes tribunals with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
The bill, which was placed in parliament on Wednesday, did not have the proposal to empower the tribunals to try and punish organisations.
But in the face of mass outrage after the Abdul Quader Mollah verdict and the demand for banning Jamaat-e-Islami, considered by many as an anti-liberation force, the government decided to introduce this provision and brought the amendment during passage of the bill.
People burst into protest on February 5 when a war crimes tribunal sentenced Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah to life in prison. The protesters, who had been demonstrating in Shahbagh since then, feel Mollah was handed down a lenient sentence and that he should be awarded the death penalty.
They demanded a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and student organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir and their trial for crimes against humanity.
Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday rejected the amendment and said the government's move would “lead the country into a civil war”.
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