PM defends law minister’s Jamaat trial remark

Defending her law minister for his comment over the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami as an organisation for its anti-Liberation War role, prime minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday said the law minister described the fact taking the law and the reality into the consideration.
‘The law minister (Anisul Huq) described the fact considering the reality based on the law,’ she said replying to a question at a press conference, UNB reported.
The press conference was organised at the prime minister’s official residence Ganobhaban to inform the media about the outcome of her recent Japan visit.
Law minster Anisul Huq Thursday said the amended war crimes act is not enough to try and punish any political party for its alleged crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.
‘There’s no provision in the International Crimes [Tribunals] Act, 1973, which was amended later, to try and punish any political party,’ he told reporters.
The minister came up with the observation after the amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1971 in February last aiming to put organisations on trial for committing war crimes, but the amendment, like the original Act, does not propose a provision for punishment of an organisation, if found guilty.
Hasina said it incomprehensible to her why there should be so much clamours and clatters over Jamaat-e-Islami’s trial.
‘You know there’s a case now pending with the High Court. There’s a writ in the High Court. Without the disposal of the case how is it possible to lodge another case over the same issue?’ she questioned adding that it never happened.
Hasina criticised those raising their voice for the immediate trial of Jamaat as an organisation. ‘It’s meaningless to pretend not to understand thing even after understanding it, and there’s no logic to be so impatient,’ she said.
The prime minister also said the government has nothing to do right now before having the verdict from the High Court (over the writ).
‘We have to work as per the verdict, this is the reality and the (law) minister said the right thing,’ she said.
Responding to another question, Hasina said prior to the execution of Quader Mollah, US secretary of State John Kerry and UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon had called requesting her not to hang Mollah.
This is the first time prime minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned the names of these powerful people who had requested her not to execute Quader Mollah.
‘These people were not the last… many others had also called me in this regard. Tell me who is that person in Bangladesh can remain stick to the decision after having phone calls from people like them? It’s only the daughter of Bangabandhu who can show such a gut.’