‘July genocide’ verdicts before next Victory Day, says law advisor

Asif Nazrul says he hopes to mark Dec 16 next year with the verdict and punishment of those involved in the massacre

Asif Nazrul, law advisor to the interim government, says that he hopes the verdicts in the cases over genocide in July and August will be delivered before Victory Day on Dec 16, 2024.

“We hope that the trials we have started over the July genocide will be completed at the judicial court at least before Victory Day next year,” he said on a national dialogue titled "Unity, Reform and Election" organised by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies at the Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh auditorium in Dhaka’s Farmgate on Saturday afternoon.

“We will celebrate the next Victory Day with verdicts punishing those who perpetrated this genocide.”

Asif said, "During the tenure of the Awami League government, there wasn’t just one genocide or one crime against humanity. Under the ousted government, at least four crimes against humanity were committed. One is the July-August massacre, one is the BDR massacre, one is the Shapla massacre, and then there are the continuous disappearances and extrajudicial killings.”

"As long as our government exists, we will definitely take all necessary action needed to prosecute these four genocides."

The main responsibilities of the current government are justice, reforms, and the election, he said, adding: "For us [the law ministry], for me, for Asad, for Tajul, the main responsibility is the trial. We are determined to carry out this trial. You can see how seriously we take this trial by how quickly we formed the tribunal. There was no building. The former advisor and I have visited the scene of that work several times."

The law advisor said that no law to ban political parties was finalised during the Awami League era, said: "They amended the Constitution and said that political parties can also be punished. But, at that time, they did not bring any such provisions into law.”

"When the demand came from us [for the punishment of political parties], we proposed it from the law ministry. Most of the advisors gave their opinions at the meeting of our advisory council. Regarding the punishment of political parties, they said that if such a step was taken, the trial would be diverted as they would get the opportunity to say that it was not done for justice but to ban the Awami League. Moreover, there are many provisions in other laws to ban parties - it is in the Anti-Terrorism Act, in the Election Act, and even through the Special Powers Act. If you want to do it, you can even do it online. Therefore, there is no need to bring it into the law that exists for the trial of war criminals and crimes against humanity. Therefore, it has been excluded based on these opinions."