Parliament has passed a bill amending the electoral law to debar the 1971 war crimes convicts from running in the general election.
After Law Minister Shafique Ahmed tabled the Representation of the People Order (Amendment) Bill-2013 on Monday, it was passed by voice vote.
With the passage of the bill, those convicted by the International Crimes Tribunals can no more contest the election.
The two war crimes tribunals have condemned eight people, including five Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, for their involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The convicted Jamaat leaders are its former chief Ghulam Azam, top leaders Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, Abdul Quader Molla and Md Kamaruzzaman.
There are two BNP leaders – Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim – among the convicts.
Sayedee, who has been condemned to capital punishment, was elected MP from Pirojpur-1 in 1996 and 2001 while Salauddin Quader, another death row convict, was elected legislator from Chittagong for six times.
Alim, who has been sentenced to jail until death, won MP elections in 1979, 1996 and 2001. He was a member in BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman’s Cabinet.
The other convicts ran elections but failed to win. Death row convict Mujaheed lost the 1996 national election but was appointed minister in Khaleda Zia’s government.
Earlier, Parliament had passed a bill to bar anyone convicted under the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunals) Order 1972 and the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 from voting. The Cabinet had given the bill the final approval on Sept 2.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury presided over the Monday session.
Source: Bd news24