Staff Reporter,Dhaka
Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman today said the statement by some members of the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) in their open letter regarding punishment under the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Ordinance is “totally incorrect”.
“What they have stated is a completely incorrect interpretation. If you look at the law, it clearly says that punishment can be life imprisonment or up to 10 years. Now what does ‘up to 10 years’ mean? It means not exceeding 10 years. So, ‘up to 10 years’ means the court has the discretion to give even one hour, one day, one month, or any period within that limit. So how can this (my statement) be contradictory?” he told.
“They (NHRC) have clearly misinterpreted this, I have said in all press conferences and everywhere else that there is a timeframe within which the report must be submitted. But there is no guideline stating how long they will take to make a decision after receiving the report,” the minister further said.