ICT law amendment bill tabled

The International Crimes (Tribunals) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2013, proposing changes to Section 21 (Right of Appeal) of the present law to provide equal rights of appeal to both defence and prosecution against the verdicts, has been tabled in Parliament.

After Law Minister Shafique Ahmed placed the bill Wednesday, it was sent to the Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs for its vetting.

The committee has been given one day to vet and submit its report.

As the Members of Parliament thumped the table after the bill was placed, Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali said, “This is the voice of the House.”

Earlier, the sitting of the House resumed at 4:30pm with Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali in the chair.

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2013 providing equal scope for appeal against verdict on any war crimes case by both sides within 30 days of pronouncement of the sentence.

The Cabinet endorsed the amendment proposal as the government found flaws in the Act with regard to prosecution making appeal against war crimes case verdicts.

The flaws came to light after the International Crimes Tribunal-2 delivered its judgment on Feb 5 sentencing Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla to life-term in jail.

After the verdict, pro-liberation youths across the country, particularly at city’s Shahbagh intersection, burst into protests as they had expected death penalty to Molla.

In the face of a weeklong spontaneous nonstop movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday told Parliament that she would do everything to amend the relevant law if there were any weakness in it.

After the Cabinet approved the draft amended law, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters that the proposed amendment also suggested a 45-day timeframe instead of indefinite period for disposal of an appeal at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court with provision of extending the time for another 15 days for reasonable causes.