US wants international standard in ICT

Special Correspondent

The United States has reiterated its support for trial to bringing to justice those who committed atrocities in the 1971 Liberation War but reminded that trials should be fair and transparent maintaining the international standards.
“We understand the importance of this process in closing a painful chapter in Bangladesh’s…Bangladeshi history,” said Jen Psaki, spokesperson of the US Department of Sate.
She made the remark while  replying  to a question  on  Jamaat  Amer’s  death sentence in ICT  in Bangladesh   at the regular briefing in Washington on Wednesday.
Earlier othe day, the International Crime Tribunal  in  Dhaka  condemned Jamaat  Ameer  Maulana  Matiur Rahman Nizami to death for crimes against humanity, including genocide and the murder of intellectuals, during the Liberation War in 1971.
The US spokesperson referred to US Ambassador-at-Large Stephen Rapp who has said countries that impose a death penalty must do so with great care in accordance with very high standards of due process and respect for fair trial guarantees.
“I’m not in a position to evaluate the trial, other than to convey that those are values and standards that we expect countries to abide by,” she said adding that trials should be fair and transparent, and in accordance with international standards.
Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

A Happy Awami league
Awami League  has  welcomed  the  death sentence to  Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami.
In  an  instant  reaction  after  the  verdict  on  Wednesday,  Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif,  joint general secretary of  the party  said the expectation of the nation has been fulfilled with the International Crimes Tribunal-1’s (ICT’s) verdict .
“The verdict has proved that the country’s judiciary worked independently. With the verdict, I think, the expectation of the nation has been fulfilled…now the whole nation is delighted,” he said.
The Awami League leader said this in front of Awami League office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city while giving his reaction to the Nizami’s death sentence verdict.
Hanif said BNP chief Khaleda Zia changed his scheduled public rally in Natore for the programme of Jamaat. “Khaleda knows well that Nizami is a criminal. He (Nizami) will be given highest punishment for his crime against humanity and his party will declare protest programmes. That’s why Khaleda changed the date of her public rally.”
Hanif further alleged, by forging an alliance with Jamaat, BNP has stood against the country’s sovereignty.
In his reaction, Awami League Dhaka city unit general secretary Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the trial of the war criminals would not have been possible had Sheikh Hasina not been in power.
Food Minister Quamrul Islam said the Nizami verdict has also proved that there is no ententae between the government and the Islamist party.
In reply to a question, the minister said the government would adopt zero-tolerance policy to save public property if there is any violence over the verdict.

A Silent  BNP
Maintaining its ‘no-comment policy’ over verdicts against war criminals, BNP refrained from making any comment about its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami’s death sentence for his war crimes.
BNP has made no comment, officially or unofficially, on the verdicts so far delivered by the Supreme Court and the International Crimes Tribunals against the war criminals, including its two leaders.
Though the party leaders after every verdict had said they would officially come up with their reactions, but that did not happen.
BNP also did not make any comment or issue any condolence message over the death of ex-ameer of the Islamic party and war crimes convict Ghulam Azam  last week.
Though the party has questions about the standard and neutrality of the International Crimes Tribunals, it has long been maintaining its ‘no-comment policy’ over the court’s verdicts against war criminals.
BNP spokesman and party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was tight-lipped about the  last verdict too  though journalists insisted to have his comment on the issue.
Hours after the judgment, Jamaat-e-Islami called a staggered 72-hour countrywide hartal in two phases from Thursday protesting the death sentence to their Ameer.

Source: Weekly Holiday

1 COMMENT

  1. DOES THIS DEMAND INCLUDE THE KILLERS OF AN ESTIMATED 490-530,000 BIHARIS, Pakistani & Pakistan SUPPORTING Bengali Muslim CIVILIANS AND THE RAPIST WHO GANG RAPED THEIR WOMEN?

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