War criminals must be tried

A row of trucks as far as the eye can see on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in the city yesterday carrying activists of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance to a rally in front of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh to intensify the demand for immediate trial of war criminals. Photo: STAR

Leading figures of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance yesterday vowed to try the war criminals at any cost and alleged that the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were trying to foil the trial by creating anarchy in the country.
They made the promise at a mass rally organised to demand a quick trial of the wartime collaborators of the Pakistan occupation force and to resist BNP-Jamaat's "move to protect those war criminals".
At the gathering, the first of its kind since the formation of the alliance three years ago, AL Presidium Member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury called upon leaders and activists of the allied parties to launch a door-to-door hunt to catch the collaborators.
Leaders, workers and supporters present at the rally swore an oath administrated by Sajeda, who is also deputy leader of the House and coordinator of her party-led 14-party coalition now in a grand alliance along with Jatiya Party.
“We are taking an oath to the effect that the way in which we defeated the Pakistan occupation force after forging unity regardless of religion, race and colour under the directive of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and gained independence, is the same way in which we will safeguard our freedom.
“And we will try the war criminals who committed genocide, rape and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. We will root out militancy and fundamentalism from the country, and establish democracy under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, and build a developed Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu.”
Announcing torch processions to be organised in districts and upazilas across the country on January 7 and 11, she said, “As part of the programmes, we also will salute those who were tortured during the war of independence.”
Later yesterday, commenting on Sajeda's directive, Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said “Once the people are left to take the law into their own hands, there are chances of anarchy breaking out.”
He, however, said the people can contribute to the trial process by providing information and evidence of crimes against humanity to the investigators.
The crucial rally was arranged in front of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, blocking the busy Matsya Bhaban-Shahbagh road, although Suhrawardy Udyan had earlier been fixed as the venue.
The huge gathering caused a gridlock in the area and other parts of the capital for hours, causing immense suffering to people.
Tens of thousands of leaders, workers and supporters of the grand alliance joined the rally, which began at 2:30pm. The road from Katabon intersection to Matsya Bhaban turned into a human sea.
Addressing the rally, various leaders of the grand alliance leaders said nothing could stop the trial which is the core demand of the nation. The people will be agitating on the streets until the last collaborator is brought to book.
AL leader Amir Hossain Amu said the people of Bangladesh, who by responding to the call of Bangabandhu had fought against the Pakistan occupation force in 1971 for independence, would be united again on the issue of the war crimes trial.
He alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had become the spokesperson of communal and anti-liberation forces by siding with them.
Tofail Ahmed, another party veteran, alleged that BNP-Jamaat had resorted to bomb blasts and vandalism to thwart the war crimes trial. “But no power in the world can foil the trial once it has got underway on this soil.”
Suranjit Sengupta, advisory council member of the party and minister for railways, said the nation would never allow the opposition to foil the war crimes trial.
AL Presidium Member and agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, however, assured the crowd that BNP-Jamaat would not be able to hinder the trial through bomb attacks or any other kind of violence.
Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AL's acting general secretary, said the whole nation was now in favour of the trial.
Holding war crimes trial was one of the main election pledges of the Awami League. The government formally started the trial after forming International Crimes Tribunal on March 25 last year, 15 months after the alliance took office.
Rashed Khan Menon, president, Workers Party of Bangladesh, said 40 years into independence, the nation notes that the anti-liberation remnants are still conspiring against the pro-liberation forces.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu said after the top-listed war criminals were arrested, Khaleda Zia announced her intention of protecting them. This is a bad sign for the country, democracy and the sprit of the Liberation War.
Samyabadi Dal General Secretary and industry minister Dilip Barua said the country's politics was clearly divided now that the BNP had adopted a clear stance in favour of the war criminals.
AL leaders Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Sahara Khatun and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Jatiya Party's Mujib-ul-Haque Chunnu and Nurur Rahman Selim of Ganatantri Party also spoke at the rally chaired by the acting president of Dhaka city AL, MA Aziz.