Jamaat can’t be banned until final verdict from court: Law Minister

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami could not be banned as a political party until final verdict from the courts and process of amending the law in this regard is underway and it will soon be presented to the cabinet for approval.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said this during a press briefing arranged by the Law Reporters Forum at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Sunday.

He said that Jamaat could be tried as a party involved in committing war crimes, on the basis of sufficient evidence that came in the verdicts delivered by the International Crimes Tribunals.
The Law Minister was asked whether it was contradictory or not as Jammat was allowed to hold a rally after a decade while the party’ registration with Election Commission was declared illegal by the High Court, the minister replied that the Ministry of Home Affairs would know the answer to it as they are the ones who issued the permit.
He, however, said that they can’t be banned from politics until the trial is over.

In response to a question from reporters regarding BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s possible participation in the next general elections, Anisul Huq replied that according to the constitution, there is no option to elect Khaleda Zia. Also, fugitive Tariq Rahman who is a convict, will not be able to participate in the elections, he added.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is ill that is why she has been released conditionally, the Law Minister said, adding that as Khaleda Zia is a convict and she has no chance to go outside the country. And if she recovers then she will have to serve the rest of her sentence in jail, he added.

Regarding poll time government, the Law Minister said that the election-time government will consist of the members of political parties that have representatives (MPs) in the Parliament.
The Awami League will fulfill its pledge made to the people through a free and fair election, he added.

Speaking about the caretaker government, he explained that the concept of such a cabinet was null and void as per the constitution after the apex court of the country declared it unconstitutional and illegal.
Regretting the new US visa policy the Law Minister said, “Bangladesh has been humiliated because of this US visa policy. However, if the policy is applied in a non-biased way, without targeting a particular group, then there will be no objection.”