'Probe going on smoothly'

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said investigation into the of crimes against humanity during the country's Liberation War in 1971 is going on smoothly, although Abdul Matin, a senior investigator, has resigned from the office.
The government will appoint more investigators and prosecutors if the existing investigators and prosecutors feel it is a necessity, he told reporters after a meeting with two representatives of International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) at his secretariat office.
The law minister also said that all forms of crimes against humanity in 1971, including the killing of intellectuals, would be tried in the international war crimes tribunal.
The Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators had systematically killed the country's prominent intellectuals and professionals at the fag end of the 1971 Liberation War, he said, adding that these killings would be tried after investigation.
ICTJ's Asian Director Patrick Burgess and Deputy Director Caitlin Reiger, who had observed trials of war criminals in different countries in the world, met the law minister to exchange their views on the trial of 1971 crimes against humanity.
The law minister said ICTJ representatives, who have earlier exchanged views with the Bangladeshi investigators and prosecutors, informed him that the investigation into the crimes against humanity is being conducted in a fair manner.