Govt to amend ICT Act, 1973: Shafique

Dhaka, Feb 9 (risingbd24.com)--Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed said the government is set to amend Section 21 (2) of International Crime Tribunal (ICT) Act, 1973, says a competent source.

Barrister Shafique is now in Paris. He is expected to return home this afternoon.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam on Saturday also said the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act, 1973 will be amended to incorporate a provision for the government to file an appeal against an inadequate sentence to an accused war criminal.

The minister told that the government has a plan to amend the section-21 (2) of the ICT act in the awake of the demand from common people and legal experts for the government right to appeal against any ICT verdict, which awards inadequate sentence to any convict in the war crimes cases.

Quoting the section 21 (2) of the ICT act, "the government (which represents the victims in the war crimes trial) shall have the right to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against an order of acquittal."

Qamrul said, there is no scope in the law to file an appeal against the order of inadequate sentence to any war crimes convict.

He said the limitation in the existing law came up before the government notice after the ICT-2 on February 5 sentenced life term imprisonment to Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah in a war crimes case.

“Government will pass the amendment to the law within a very short time”, he added.

He also said the government will finalise the amendment to the law within a day or two after Law Minister Shafique Ahmed returns to the country from Paris.