Trial of Civilians Under ICT Act
HC bench gives dissenting orders
Two judges of a High Court bench yesterday delivered dissenting orders on a writ petition filed challenging the provision of trying civilians in connection with the crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
A Morshedur Rahman Chowdhury from Chittagong filed the petition last month challenging the government's action incorporating the words--"individual or group of individuals"--in The International Crimes Tribunal Act, 1973 through an amendment for trials on charges of crimes against humanity.
Senior judge of the bench Justice Farid Ahmed issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks why insertion of the words--"individual or group of individuals"--in the ICT act should not be declared illegal.
Junior Judge of the bench Sheikh Hassan Arif summarily rejected the petition.
Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Saju told The Daily Star that the judges would now send the petition along with their orders to the chief justice.
The chief justice would then forward the petition to a third bench of the HC for its final disposal, he said.
The government brought amendments to the ICT act inserting the words--“individual or group of individuals”--on July 14, 2009 so that civilians can be tried on charge of crimes against humanity.
Advocate TH Khan appeared for the petitioner, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the petition.
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