14-party demo today against plot to foil war crimes trial

Ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance will hold mass processions and rallies across the country today, demanding immediate completion of war crimes trial and protesting, as it claimed, BNP-Jamaat conspiracy against it.
This would be the alliance's first countrywide major political campaign in favour of war crimes trial since the Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance government assumed power.
Holding trial of war criminals is one of the key electoral pledges of the AL.
The mass rallies and processions will begin at 2:30 pm in all divisional headquarters, district and upazila towns and in the capital, Mrinal Kanti Das, deputy office secretary of AL, told The Daily Star.
In Dhaka, the mass rally will set off from in front of the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The alliance has taken measures to assemble a large number of people in the rally, party sources said.
A mass procession will also begin from in front of the mosque and end at Suhrawardy Udyan after parading the streets near Noor Hossain Square, Paltan intersection, National Press Club and Matsya Bhaban.
Senior leaders of the 14-party alliance will speak at the rally and from where they will announce their next course of programmes.
Leaders of the ruling combine held a series of meetings for the last several days to make today's programmes a success.
MEETING WITH STUDENT ORGANISATIONS
The 14-party yesterday held a view exchange meeting with its student and youth organisations at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi with a view of making today's programme a success.
Addressing the meeting as the chief guest, AL stalwart Amir Hossain Amu said punishment to the war criminals would have to be ensured through completing their trials immediately to establish the rule of law in the country.
DHAKA CITY 14-PARTY MEETING
A meeting of the 14-party combine's city units was held at the central office of the AL on Bangabandhu Avenue where another AL stalwart Tofail Ahmed said BNP-Jamaat had been conspiring at both home and abroad to protect war criminals.
"We will continue our street programmes until March 26, and hope that the war crimes trial will be completed by then," he said add-ing that Khaleda Zia's reception programme for freedom fighters was a mockery.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said, "We liberated the country in 1971 under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"This time, we will foil all the conspiracies of BNP-Jamaat under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and compel Khaleda Zia to surrender."
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif termed the BNP an agent of Pakistan and aide of war criminals as it had declared programmes in the month of victory to thwart the trial.
The AL leaders urged all to make today's 14-party mass procession a success.