Ordinance to grant indemnity to July fighters, Law Adviser says on Facebook

The government is issuing a separate ordinance to grant indemnity to the July fighters. The Ministry of Law has already prepared a draft of the immunity ordinance, which will be placed for approval at the next meeting of the Advisory Council.

Law Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul shared this information in a post on his verified Facebook page today, Thursday.

In the post titled ‘Immunity for July Fighters,’ Asif Nazrul wrote: “The July fighters risked their lives to free the country from fascist rule. They certainly deserve indemnity. There is also a need to enact a law granting them indemnity for the defensive actions they took against the killers of fascist Sheikh Hasina during the July mass uprising. Enacting such a law is entirely lawful. Following the Arab Spring or in contemporary times, after the fall of usurped governments through revolutions (or mass uprisings), such indemnity laws have been enacted in various countries. Article 46 of the Constitution of Bangladesh provides the legal basis for indemnity laws, and in 1973, after the Great Liberation War, an indemnity law was enacted for freedom fighters.”

Asif Nazrul further wrote: “In light of these precedents and legal provisions, the Ministry of Law has prepared a draft of the indemnity ordinance. Insha Allah, it will be placed for approval at the next meeting of the Advisory Council. Safeguarding July is our sacred duty.”

Earlier, at a meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on law and order on 6 January, a decision was taken to initiate the process of issuing an ordinance to grant indemnity and legal protection to the July fighters. The Ministry of Law was requested to prepare a draft of the ordinance for this purpose.