Govt to send reference draft to President Sunday for SC opinion

Trial of BDR mutineers
An inter-ministerial meeting, held at the Law Ministry with law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed in the chair, yesterday finalised the draft of a reference to be made by the President to the Supreme Court for its opinion on the specific law under which the BDR mutineers should be tried.
Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has prepared the draft, which was sent to the Home Ministry recently for taking further steps in this regard, sources in the home ministry said yesterday.
Secretaries of law, home and the defense ministries, Attorney General, Additional Attorney General and the BDR Judge Advocate General attended the meeting.
After the meeting, minister Shafique Ahmed told reporters that the reference would be forwarded to President Zillur Rahman on Sunday with a request to send it to the Supreme Court for its opinion under Article 106 of the Constitution.
“We will send the matter to the President for making a reference to the Supreme Court as per article 106 of the Constitution,” the law minister said, adding that they hope that the Supreme Court would give the guidelines to the government soon on the law under which the BDR mutineers should be tried.
Chief of BDR Major General Md Mainul Islam earlier told The Independent that the government should start the trial of BDR mutineers as early as possible under the Army Act.
“It is possible to ensure punishment of all the mutineers within a short time if the government holds the trial under the Army Act,” he said, adding “The trial process of BDR mutineers is likely to be hampered if the government decides to hold the trial under any other law of the country.”
Some 3,000 BDR personnel, who are suspected to be involved in BDR mutiny and carnage, are now under custody.
In the February 25-26 carnage at BDR Peelkhana headquarters, 75 people, including 56 army officers on deputation to BDR, were killed. They included the then BDR chief major general Shakil Ahmed.
There are differences of opinion as to whether the mutineers be tried under regular laws, the BDR Act or the Army Act. There have been dilemmas in the government whether the trial should be held under military or BDR acts or under the normal laws of the land.
National inquiry committee on BDR carnage submitted its report recently to the government with the recommendation to start the trial under the Army Act.

Courtesy of The Independent