The council of advisers with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair on Thursday decided to amend the Special Security Force Act 2021, lifting special security for deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her close relatives.
鈥楢gainst the backdrop of student-people mass upsurge, the interim government has been formed on August 8, 2024, comprising the chief adviser and other advisers,鈥� the chief adviser鈥檚 office said in a statement following the advisory council鈥檚 meeting at state guest house Jamuna.
It said that in the changed scenario, it was not possible to implement under administrative management the provisions relating to the founding president
of the country Sheikh Mujibur Rahman鈥檚 family聽in line with the existing聽law.
The statement said that the installation of the new interim government required security of the chief adviser.
It was felt some of the provisions were required to be scrapped and therefore the council unanimously decided to amend the SSF Act, 2021, read it.
The statement said that the advisory council gave final approval to the draft 鈥楽ecurity of Family Members of the Father of the Nation (Repeal) Ordinance, 2024鈥� subject to vetting by the legislative and parliamentary affairs division.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, advisory council member Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that the interim government was the outcome of an anti-discrimination movement.
Rizwana, who is entrusted with the portfolio of environment, forest and climate change ministry, said that the council took the decision to amend the law considering it 鈥榙iscriminatory鈥�.
She said that the Bangladesh signed the instrument of accession to the international convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance, 鈥榙emonstrating its commitment to investigate each and every case of enforced disappearances鈥�.
鈥楾he chief advisor has signed the instrument. About 700 people are still missing for enforced disappearance. Different organisations, including 鈥楳ayer Dak鈥�, are working on this issue,鈥� she said.
She underscored the need for formulating a mechanism that none could make any enforced disappearance by using the law enforcement and security agencies cashing in on the power.
鈥楳any of us are victims of enforced disappearance. . . .we have signed the convention as no citizen can be forcibly disappeared by any forces or any means on the plea of anti-government activities, deteriorating law and order situation and national security,鈥� Rezwana said.
She said that the interim government had decided to cancel the provision of whitening black money as part of reforms in various sectors.
A clear decision had been taken against the provision of whitening black money as the government gave importance to ethics related to the issue, added the adviser.
