Poll-time govt to be made of parties that have representatives in Parliament: Law minister

Law Minister Anisul Huq has said that the election-time government will consist of the members of political parties that have representatives (MPs) in the Parliament.

Saying that the Awami League will fulfill its pledge made to the people through a free and fair election, the minister made the remark at a "Meet the Reporters" session of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Sunday.

Speaking about the caretaker government, he explained that the concept of such a cabinet was null and void as per the constitution after the apex court of the country declared it unconstitutional and illegal.

Regretting the new US visa policy the law minister said, "Bangladesh has been humiliated because of this US visa policy. However, if the policy is applied in a non-biased way, without targeting a particular group, then there will be no objection."

When asked about allowing Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to hold its first rally in the capital after a decade, Anisul Huq said the Ministry of Home Affairs would know the answer to it as they are the ones who issued the permit.

Responding to a question about banning Jamaat, the law minister said, "We have enough evidence in hand to start the trial of war criminals. However, they can't be banned from politics until the trial is over."

He further noted that the process of amending the law in this regard is underway and it will soon be presented to the cabinet for approval. 

In response to a question from reporters, the law minister said that according to the constitution, there is no option to elect Khaleda Zia. Also, fugitive Tariq Rahman who is a convict, will not be able to participate in the elections.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is ill that is why she has been released conditionally. As she is a convict, she has no chance to go outside the country. And if she recovers then she will have to serve the rest of her sentence, he added.