The government will take action against Jamaat-e-Islami, many of whose top leaders have been convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death or life imprisonment, through legal proceedings, says Law Minister Anisul Huq.
“In several verdicts against the convicted war criminals, the International Crimes Tribunal has mentioned Jamaat’s involvement in war crimes as a party,” Huq told the House on Sunday (Feb 10).
Replying to a question from ruling Awami League lawmaker Waresat Hussain Belal, the minister said, “Draft of International Crimes Tribunal Act (amendment) had been forwarded to the Cabinet to try Jamaat as a party,”
“The draft will be placed in the Cabinet again after taking instructions from the prime minister,” he said vowing that “Issue of trying Jamaat will be completed through legal proceedings.”
In October last, Bangladesh Election Commission revoked the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, a major ally of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, as a political party in compliance with a High Court order.
In August 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat’s registration illegal following a writ petition filed in 2009 by Bangladesh Tariqat Federation’s Secretary General Rezaul Haque Chandpuri and 24 others.
In the petition, they said Jamaat was a religion-based political party and it did not believe in the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.
Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Jamaat leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Abdul Kade Molla, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Mir Quasem Ali have been executed for 1971 war crimes.
Jamaat guru Ghulam Azam died while serving a prison term until death. Its senior leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee is serving a similar sentence while several other Jamaat leaders have been given jail terms.