Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said extrajudicial killings are coming down to almost zero.
He made the remark as chief guest at a consultation meeting on “Human rights violations and victims’ access to justice,” held at the CIRDAP International Conference Centre in the capital today, Saturday, July 25.
The law minister said: “We can say that in the government of the past few months, extrajudicial killing has come down to almost zero. And when one reported case of enforced disappearance came in, we took it very seriously. I have said internally that zero tolerance is to be shown on this.”
The law minister also said: “When the judge cannot stand with a straight spine, that is when the judiciary falls on its face. But only if good judges are appointed through a transparent process, and if the individuals are good, is it possible to have the independent and transparent judiciary we expect.”
On politically vindictive cases he said: “We are working tirelessly to withdraw politically vindictive cases, and we are taking the decision to withdraw them at the final stage.”
Saying that efforts are under way to break out of the cycle of political criminalisation, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said: “Under the leadership of our prime minister we believe we will move gradually towards reforms of every kind. But for that we must be given a little time.”
Answering journalists’ questions at the end of the consultation meeting, the law minister said that under article 123(2) of the constitution a new president must be elected within 90 days. “Yesterday was 24 July. We have time until 24 October. So no situation has yet arisen that would require calling a special session.”
He said: “Since constitutionally our next session is due within 60 days from 15 July, I hope it will be possible to settle this in that session.”
Asked who the country’s next president would be, the law minister said time would tell.
The event, chaired by the president of the human-rights organisation Odhikar, Dr Tasneem Siddiqui, opened with a welcome address by Odhikar’s director, A S M Nasir Uddin Elan.
Speaking as special guests at the Odhikar event were the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury; the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, Md Aminul Islam; and the editor of the Amar Desh newspaper, Dr Mahmudur Rahman.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report