Accused in anti-humanity cases will not contest in elections

The interim government has ruled that individuals accused in anti-humanity cases will be barred from participating in elections or holding public office, officials said on Thursday (September 4).

The amendment was approved at a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus in Tejgaon.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced the decision at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, following an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act.

Under the new provision, Section 20(C) has been added to the ICT Act, stipulating that anyone formally charged under Section 9(1) will be ineligible to be elected as a member of parliament, or to hold positions such as member, commissioner, chairman, mayor, or administrator in any local government body.

The amendment further bars such individuals from appointment to the civil service or any other public office, effectively preventing them from participating in governance at any level.