ICT law amended to try Awami League

President Mohammed Shahabuddin last night (10 May) promulgated an ordinance amending the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, to empower the tribunals to try a political party facing charges of genocide and crimes against humanity and punish it if found guilty.

A gazette notification in this regard was published last night.

Amidst protests demanding a ban on the Awami League (AL), the amendments have been brought to the law to try the party.

An official order officially banning the party is set to be issued on Monday (12 May).

The interim government at an emergency Advisory Council meeting last night decided to ban the party under the anti-terror laws.

During the meeting, the council also approved the proposals to amend the ICT law, allowing the tribunal to punish any political party, its affiliated organisations, or supporter groups.

"In the Advisory Council meeting, it was decided that until the trial of the Bangladesh Awami League and its leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal is completed, all activities of the Awami League — including in cyberspace — will be banned under the Anti Terrorism Act," said Law Adviser Asif Nazrul after the meeting ended at around 11pm yesterday.

He said the decision was made "in order to protect national security and sovereignty, ensure the safety of the leaders and activists of the July uprising, and safeguard plaintiffs and witnesses of the International Crimes Tribunal".

According to the gazette, the new Section 20B of the ICT law now grants the tribunals legal powers to suspend, prohibit, or dissolve organisations proven to have facilitated atrocities.

The section says that "if it appears to the Tribunal that any organisation has committed, ordered, attempted, aided, incited, abetted, conspired, facilitated or otherwise assisted the commission of any of the crimes under sub-section (2) of section 3 of this Act, the Tribunal shall have the power to suspend or prohibit its activities, ban the organisation, suspend or cancel its registration or license, and confiscate its property".

According to the revised law now specifically defines organisations as "any political party, or any entity subordinate to, or affiliated to, or associated with such a party, or any group of individuals which, in the opinion of the Tribunal, propagates, supports, endorses, facilitates, or engages in the activities of such a party or entity".

The AL government fell amid a mass uprising on 5 August last year, forcing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India.

Since then, demands have been made by various quarters to ban AL in the country. 

More recently, the protests seeking the ban intensified, with the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) organising sit-ins in front of the chief adviser's residence last Thursday night, then blocking Shahbag. 

NCP was joined by leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, United Peoples Bangladesh, July Mancha, Inqilab Mancha, Khelafat Majlis, Hefazat-e-Islam, and other political and student organisations. 

The decision to ban AL and amend the ICT law came when the protesters started marching towards the chief adviser's residence from Shahbag last night, and took position in front of the InterContinental hotel.