TDS Desk:

Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has said that participants in the July Mass Uprising have a rightful claim to legal immunity, and that the Ministry of Law has already prepared a draft ordinance to grant such immunity to the July fighters.

He shared this information in a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday afternoon.

In the post, Asif Nazrul said that the July fighters risked their lives to free the country from fascist rule.

“They certainly deserve immunity,” he wrote.

He added that during the July Mass Uprising, the fighters carried out defensive actions against the killers of fascist Sheikh Hasina, and therefore there is a necessity to enact a law granting them immunity for those actions.

The law adviser further stated that enacting such a law is entirely lawful. He noted that after the fall of usurping governments following revolutions or mass uprisings—such as during the Arab Spring—many countries adopted similar immunity laws.

Referring to the legal framework of Bangladesh, Asif Nazrul said that Article 46 of the Constitution provides the legal basis for immunity laws.

He also pointed out that after the Liberation War in 1971, an immunity law was enacted for freedom fighters. In light of these precedents and legal provisions, the Ministry of Law has drafted an immunity ordinance.

He expressed hope that the draft ordinance would be placed for approval at the next meeting of the Advisory Council.

Concluding his post, he said that safeguarding the legacy of July is a sacred responsibility.