CHITTAGONG: Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed said the proceedings of war crimes trial are being interrupted through conspiracy at home and abroad, backing up his observation with the latest legal challenge.

“But the trial process cannot be impeded ether by carrying out propaganda locally and internationally or filing writs with courts,” said the Law minister in a meeting with government prosecutors at the circuit house in the port city Tuesday.

He made it clear that the government is firmly committed to carrying through the trial of the war criminals.

The minister also said the government has not initiated the trial out of political vendetta. It rather wants to ensure the trial of “crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War to free the country from stigma”.

With top leaders of the party now in the dock on war-crime charges, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami challenged some provisions of the tribunal law and appealed to the High Court for ordering a halt in the trial process.   

Two of the detained top leaders of the party in the petition challenged the legality of the impugned provisions of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act and the first amendment to the constitution.  

Assistant secretaries-general of Jamaat Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah jointly filed the writ petition with the High Court Monday, seeking its direction for suspending the trial proceedings against them.

The law minister asked the prosecutors to build public opinion on the issue apart from carrying out their role in getting justice to the people.
The prosecutors at the meeting also demanded recruitment of additional session judges from among lawyers.

Former mayor of the port city ABM Mahiuddin Chowdhury also attended the meeting.

BDST: 1436HRS, AUG 17, 2010