BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed has described the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act of 1973 as ‘dead'. He also claimed that the amendments brought to the law were also contrary to Section 47 of the constitution. “To hold the trial of war criminals at an international standard and transparent the government must review this law again,” bdNews24 quoted Moudud as saying at a discussion on Saturday. He mentioned the law was formulated to try the 195 Pakistani war-prisoners, who were later released. “It's a dead law now. “A separate law, Dalal Act, was formulated later to try the collaborators. It doesn't exist now,” the former law minister added. The government on Mar 25 started the long-waited process of holding to account those who are alleged to have committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 independence war by forming a tribunal, a prosecutors' panel and an investigating agency under the amended 1973 Act. At the discussion on transit at the National Press Club on Saturday Moudud also termed the $1 billion credit deal with India ‘a threat to the country's security'. The Labour Party organised the discussion. “The government is desperate to provide transit to India bypassing public opinion,” he alleged. Regarding anti-government movement, Moudud said the party chief Khaleda Zia will announce new programmes after the month of Ramadan.
