Twenty-one years after the 1975 Ordinance was issued, the law was repealed through the Indemnity (Repeal) Act, 1996 which was passed by the parliament during the first term of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister under the presidency of Shahabuddin Ahmed on 12 November 1996. Section 6(c) of the General Clauses Act 1897 states that if a new law repeals an old one, "any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred"[6] on certain people by the old law cannot be affected or repealed by the new repealing law. Since the people involved in Sheikh Mujib's assassination were granted indemnity (a privilege) by the 1975 Ordinance, the 1996 repealing Act stated that "at any time before the coming into force of this Act, if any, the provisions of Section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 (X of 1897) shall not apply and the acts done, arrangements adopted, certificates or orders issued or rights or privileges acquired or liabilities created shall not apply." Thus, the 1996 repealing Act opened the doors for the conspirators of Sheikh Mujib's assassination to be tried and prosecuted under the Bangladeshi Law. The Indemnity (Repeal) Act, 1996 states:[7]
WHEREAS it is expedient and necessary to repeal The Indemnity Ordinance, 1975 (Ordinance Law of 1975);
Therefore, it is hereby enacted as follows: —
Section 1. Short Title
1. This Act shall be known as The Indemnity (Repeal) Act, 1996.[8]
Section 2. Repeal of L of 1975
2(1). The Indemnity Ordinance, 1975 (L of 1975, printed as XLX of 1975), hereinafter referred to as the Ordinance, is hereby repealed.
2(2). Any acts done, any arrangements adopted, any certificates or orders issued or any rights or privileges acquired, or any liabilities created for the Government or any authority, under the said Ordinance at any time before the coming into force of this Act, if any, the provisions of Section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 (X of 1897) shall not apply and the acts done, arrangements adopted, certificates or orders issued or rights or privileges acquired or liabilities created shall not apply. Upon the repeal of the said Ordinance by sub-section (1), it shall become ineffective, null and void as if the said Ordinance has not been promulgated and the said Ordinance did not and does not exist.[9]