Govt to form Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Asif Nazrul
He says he plans to go to South Africa with a team to this end and would invite Farhad Mazhar to join commission
The government is set to form a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said today (10 May).
"There is a strong need for a Truth Justice Commission or a Truth and Reconciliation Commission," he said at a meeting on the "Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedies Ordinance, 2025 [Second Draft]" held at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in the capital.
"It would have probably been better if we had this in our country since 1972. We want to resolve everything very professionally... We will establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission," said the adviser.
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He also mentioned, "Farhad Mazhar [writer and political analyst] has repeatedly spoken about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission."
Asif said, "For the purpose of forming the commission, I, along with our chief justice, will go to South Africa with a team... When we form the commission, Farhad Bhai, we will certainly invite you as well."
Commenting that this nation cannot find salvation amidst endless internal conflict, the adviser said, "We must build national unity. Those who committed heinous crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity are not large in number.
"We must ensure appropriate and sufficient punishment for them. Even if it is just to establish that they are ostracised, we must form a Truth and Reconciliation Commission."
Through the establishment of the commission, he said it will be affirmed that the main perpetrators of said major crimes are indeed ostracised.
Truth and Accountability Commission during caretaker govt
In 2008, the Truth and Accountability Commission was established by the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government to investigate corruption.The caretaker government had arrested numerous politicians including former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia on corruption charges.
The move was met with backlash when the Transparency International Bangladesh alleged that the commission collected arbitrary amounts as fines from corruption suspects. Former president Hussain Muhammad Ershad in an opinion piece in The Daily Star described the commission as "impractical".
Later that year, Supreme Court of Bangladesh lawyers and politicians filed petitions challenging the legality of the commission. Then the High Court declared the Truth and Accountability Commission illegal.
