Indemnity Act (Bangladesh)

The Indemnity Act of Bangladesh was formulated to give immunity from legal action to the persons involved in the assassination of president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The assassination took place on August 15, 1975.
As the parliament of Bangladesh, the Jatiya Sangsad, was not in session, the law was promulgated on September 26, 1975, in the form of an ordinance by President Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad. It was titled "Indemnity Ordinance 1975", being Ordinance No. 50 of 1975. It was made a formal statute by Major General Ziaur Rahman and later approved by the Jatiyo Sangshad by the fifth amendment to the constitution brought about on April 6, 1979, the Indeminity Act became enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh.
Initially the legislation gave immunity to the persons involved in the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which took place on August 15, 1975 but later Zia and Ershad further extended the law to legalise the military coups, martial law decrees and orders and other political events and decrees promulgated under their rule.
On 12 November 1996, the Indemnity Act was repealed by parliament after the Awami League formed a government with Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Sheikh Mujib, as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
A 2005 court ruling further pronounced the rule of Ziaur Rahman and the coup overthrowing Sheikh Mujib as illegal. Later it was ratified by the parliament.
In February 2010, the fifth amendment to the constitution was declared illegal by the High Court of Bangladesh.