Dhaka: The government has enacted an amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, adding a clause and a section aimed at trying and punishing political parties, associate bodies, or any group of individuals for crimes within its jurisdiction. The newly amended ordinance, titled the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, was issued on May 10 and takes effect immediately.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a gazette notification released by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division last night detailed the inclusion of a new clause (bbb) after clause (bb) of section 2 of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act of 1973 (Act No. XIX of 1973). This clause defines ‘organisation’ to encompass any political party or any entity subordinate to, affiliated with, or associated with such a party, as well as any group of individuals that, in the Tribunal’s opinion, engages in activities supporting the party.
Additionally, a new section, 20B, will be added after section 20A of the same Act, specifying the punishment for organisations deemed to have committed crimes. The Tribunal will have the authority to suspend or ban the activities of such organisations, cancel their registration or license, and confiscate their properties if they are found guilty of committing, aiding, or facilitating crimes as per sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Act.
The government had previously amended the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, on February 10, through the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, to make the tribunal more relevant and robust. The prosecution of the ICT has welcomed the recent amendment, describing it as a timely and appropriate measure.
Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim expressed appreciation for the government’s move, noting that many existing laws already provide for banning organisations or taking punitive actions. However, he emphasized that trials conducted at an international standard tribunal or through internationally recognized laws would be more credible and acceptable to the public, thus applauding the government for implementing such a necessary amendment.