BANGLADESH

Farhat Quader Chowdhury, wife of senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury arrested on charges of his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, has claimed that her husband is not being provided proper legal aid in line with the International Human Rights Act.

The lawyers of the BNP leader have also made similar complaints to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) and appealed to halt proceedings of the war crimes case against him for eight years.

The appeal was made on Sunday, a day before the tribunal is scheduled to decide on Monday whether it will frame charges against the BNP lawmaker, tribunal's registrar Mohammad Shahinur Rahman told .

In the appeal, the defence lawyers sought the tribunal to provide them probe report of the investigation agency, other relevant information and documents against Chowdhury within the next 14 days.

The tribunal was requested in the appeal to review the laws of the tribunal, and visit the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Crimes (Tribunal) (Amended) Act-1973 as per the Rome statute.

After the submission of the appeal, Farhat Quader at a press conference at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president's room told reporters that the ruling Awami League in its previous term had signed the ICCPR on Sept 6, 2000. Besides, Bangladesh also signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rome Statute of the international crimes tribunal act.

"The appeal has been made so that the laws are followed properly," she said.

"You can't make the tribunal controversial. Either you run it under the native laws or under the practicable international laws. We would not get fair justice if it is made controversial. You can bring him (Chowdhury) to Hague, if necessary," she added.

Farhat Quader alleged that the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act-1973 was enacted for the trial of military personnel. "Why others should be tried under the law (formulated for the military personnel)?"

On March 25, 2010 the government constituted a three-member tribunal, investigation body and a lawyers' panel to try war criminals under the provisions of the 1973 International War Crimes (Tribunal) Act.