A strange news item appeared a few days ago. According to Amader Shomoy (30 May 2010), the Parliamentary Committee on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has taken the initiative to pass a new law that will aim at indemnifying the Freedom Fighters of 1971 of all possible criminal acts that were unavoidable in the context of executing operations during the Liberation War. The report reads:

প্রায় ৪০ বছর পর মুক্তিযুদ্ধের সময় যুদ্ধে অংশগ্রহণকারীদের অপরাধের দায়মুক্তি দিয়ে আইন প্রণয়ন করতে যাচ্ছে সরকার। মুক্তিযুদ্ধকালীন সম্মুখ সমরে পাকিস্তানী হানাদার বাহিনী কিংবা এদেশীয় রাজাকারদের হত্যা, বাড়িঘর জ্বালিয়ে দেয়াসহ যেসব অনিবার্য কাজ করতে হয়েছে এবং প্রচলিত আইনে যা অপরাধ তার দায় থেকে মুক্তি দিয়ে এ আইন প্রণীত হবে। জাতীয় সংসদের আইন বিচার ও সংসদ বিষয়ক মন্ত্রণালয় সম্পর্কিত সংসদীয় স্থায়ী কমিটি এ আইনসহ সংবিধানের বিভিন্ন বিধান কার্যকর করতে আরও প্রায় চল্লিশটি আইন প্রণয়নের উদ্যোগ নিয়েছে। আইন কমিশনকে এসব আইনের খসড়া তৈরি করে সংসদীয় কমিটির কাছে উপস্থাপন করতে বলা হয়েছে। আইন কমিশন ইতিমধ্যেই এসব আইনের খসড়া তৈরি করার উদ্যোগ গ্রহণ করেছে। কমিটির সভাপতি সুরঞ্জিত সেনগুপ্ত বলেছেন, স্বাধীনতার ৪০ বছর পরেও এ ধরনের আইন প্রণয়ন করা হয়নি বলেই জামায়াত এখন ওই সময়ের কর্মকা ের জন্য মুক্তিযোদ্ধাদের বিচার চাওয়ার সাহস দেখায়। এ আইন অনেক আগেই হওয়া উচিত ছিল।

According to the report, the Law Commission has already taken the initiative to draft the new law.

The baffling thing is, there already is a specific legislation enacted some 37 years ago which covers this area. It is The Bangladesh National Liberation Struggle (Indemnity) Order 1973 (P.O. No. 16 OF 1973). The law was passed on 28 February 1973 and it was given retrospective effect covering the whole period between 1 March 1971 to 28 February 1972. The text of this law reads as follows:

WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for indemnity to persons in the service of the Republic and to other persons in respect of act done in connection with the national liberation struggle, the maintenance or restoration of order;

NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of paragraph 3 of the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and in exercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf, the President is pleased to make the following Order:-

1. (1) This Order may be called the Bangladesh National Liberation Struggle (Indemnity) Order, 1973.
(2) It shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on the 26th day of the March, 1972.

2. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie in any Court against any person for or on account of or in respect of any act done during the period from the 1st day of March, 1971 to the 16th day of December, 1971, in connection with the struggle for national liberation or for maintenance or restoration of order up to the 28th day of February, 1972.

3. A public prosecutor shall, upon the Government certifying that a case against any person in the service of the Republic or against any other person for or on account of or in respect of any act done by him during the period from the 1st day of March, 1971, and the 28th day of February, 1972, is an act done in connection with national liberation struggle or for maintenance or restoration of order, apply to the court and upon submission of such application the court shall not proceed further with the case, which shall be deemed to be withdrawn, and the accused person shall forthwith be discharged.

4. The Government may make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Order.

Based on the above, it is not clear why the government has chosen this moment to pass a new law on an already-settled matter which is bound to stir up new controversies. Is it possible that the “legal experts” advising the government are oblivious to the obvious existence of a law that already covers this area? Or is it to create and indemnify a new class of individuals based on considerations that have very little to do with law or justice?

It is still very early to make a definitive evaluation of the events but we probably need to keep a close watch on them.