Asif Nazrul comments on death penalty Asif Nazrul, left, and Volker Turk UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk today urged the interim government to revoke the existing death penalty in Bangladesh, but there is no scope to do so, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said today.   "We said there is no scope for revoking death sentences under the current circumstances. The Penal Code has the provision of death sentence. There is no scope to amend it all of a sudden," he told reporters after a meeting with Turk at the secretariat. 

 During the meeting, the human rights chief spoke of establishing rule of law and human rights, which are closely interlinked, and also ensuring human rights in all the reform initiatives.  Turk told media that he asked for Bangladesh's human rights commission to be strengthened to uphold human rights in the country.  Extradition only if death penalty abolished He also said the UN fact-finding mission is giving due importance to the human rights violation during the July-August student-led protests.  

The UN headquarters is overseeing the entire matter, he said.  Turk arrived in Dhaka early today on a two-day visit and held meetings with Nazrul and Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and the students of Dhaka University.   He is scheduled to meet the chief adviser, chief justice, army chief, heads of several reform commissions, civil society groups, UN agencies and members of diplomatic missions here.  Volker Turk wanted to know more about the International Crimes Tribunal Act, 1973, said the law adviser.  The UN calls for revoking death penalty worldwide, but only a few countries have revoked it, he added. This is their commitment and they will speak about this, but no government of Bangladesh in the past revoked the death sentence, Nazrul said.  Concerns about the international crimes tribunals act amendment Read more Some concerns about the proposed changes in international crimes tribunals "There is no question of abolishing the death sentence, in connection with the trial of the fascist government that killed thousands of students," he said.

 Those accused in the cases under the ICT Act will be provided all legal rights to defend themselves, said Nazrul.  Volker Turk has asked for the draft of the amendments to the ICT Act, which the government will provide.  Another priority of the UN human rights chief was for Bangladesh to have an independent judiciary.  "We said we have started reforms to the judiciary. Turk has expressed satisfaction about the reforms initiatives," Nazrul said.  Nazrul said the government may avail forensic or technical support from the UN and stressed that there will be no injustice as there was in the past.