Death punishment can prevent UN support: experts

Monday 24 February 2025 12:00 am
Last Update on: Monday February 24, 2025 09:46 AM

The member of the Nagorik Section Committee says people want capital penalty for perpetrators

Personnel correspondent

Monday February 24, 2025 12:00 Last update on: Monday 24 February 2025 09:46 AM

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No United Nations body will be able to help Bangladesh follow those responsible for brutal repression in the July revolt, unless the processes meet international legal standards, two eminent lawyers said yesterday.

The lawyer of the Supreme Court and the legal assistance and legal services trust in Bangladesh (Blast) Honorary Executive Director Barrister Sara Hossain and SC Rashna Imam’s lawyer made these observations at a discussion organized by the Jatiya Nagorik committee at Jatiya Press Club.

The discussion, entitled, “Report of finding the facts: the analysis of the July-Responsibility and Justice”, highlighted the concerns about judicial transparency and international cooperation.

We understand the international debate on the death penalty, but the people of Bangladesh endured an extreme brutality. A simple imprisonment punishment or a fine is insufficient justice.

– Akhter Hossen, secretary of the Nagorik Committee

The pendulum of death

Sara Hossain stressed that, although the UN did not publicly disclose the names of the perpetrators, it expressed the availability to share this information with the Bangladesh judicial system, including the International Crime Court (ICT), provided that the processes meet international standards.

“A transparent process is one that is fully carried out by international law,” she said. “A critical issue here is the presence of death penalty in our legal system. If the capital punishment remains, the UN will not be able to cooperate.”

She questioned the assumption that Bangladesh generally supports the death penalty, saying: “I never had a referendum on this topic. If people want to keep it, they must also accept the consequence – global limited support in ensuring justice ”.

Sara Hossain continued to warn that bypassing international legal norms could have long -term repercussions.

“If we insist on our current approach without external assistance, will we be able to support these attempts? Or will we see a scenario where, years later, another regime cancels these procedures?” she asked.

Referring to the prolonged struggle for justice following the 1971 liberation war, he said: “A major reason why justice was not fully served is our failure to meet international legal standards. If we want to break up with past practices, we must reconsider if Capital the punishment is the best course of action. “

Meanwhile, Rashna Imam said that key changes of the ICT law have been made, especially in the admission samples, to align it with global norms.

However, she said: “A crucial problem remains unadly – the presence of the death penalty. Neither the interim government nor the public discussions were confronted with this reality ”.

She said that if Bangladesh eliminates or does not impose a morality on the death penalty, the UN and the European Union will not provide crucial evidence or legal support.

“During the mandate of the Awami League, the ICT process faced widespread critics. In order to avoid a repetition, we need international cooperation,” she said. “UN said they would not share evidence if processes could lead to execution.”

She also warned not to speed up the judicial process, pointing to past mistakes.

“The previous government has tried to complete the processes on war offenses within two or three years, which has led to significant procedural defects. We must not repeat that.”

A critical problem here is the presence of the death penalty in our legal system. If the capital punishment remains, the UN will not be able to cooperate.

– Lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain Court Supreme

“Justice must reflect the requirements of people”

Despite the concerns of the legal experts, the secretary of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, Akhter Hossen, said that those responsible for the July killing should face the greatest punishment in accordance with Bangladesh laws.

“We understand the international debate on the death penalty, but the people of Bangladesh endured an extreme brutality. They followed the brothers shot in their homes and fired from helicopters. A simple punishment or a fine is insufficient justice,” said he.

Akhter said that while international legal standards are important, they should not replace the request of the people of justice.

“We ask the Government to engage with the UN, the EU and the International Criminal Court to explain the unique circumstances of Bangladesh. People’s expectations must be clearly communicated.”