War crime bill in first JS session

A father with his child on his shoulders takes part in a colourful procession brought out by Sammilito Sangskritik Jote celebrating the Victory Day yesterday. Photo: STAR

Sectors Commanders of the Liberation War from a victory day celebration yesterday asked next lawmakers to table a bill in the 9th parliament to try war criminals.
Every citizen has the ultimate weapon of vote to fight out war criminals and they must use it to prove Bangladesh a country of freedom fighters, said sector commanders and freedom fighters at a Victory Day programme yesterday.
Urging people to vote freedom fighters in the upcoming polls, speakers also said freedom fighters have been "exploited" by political parties since independence.
“A bill must be brought at the first session of the next parliament to try war criminals,” Sector Commander Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah also urging people to bring freedom fighters in the parliament.
"The ultimate weapon to fight war criminals is in the hand of every citizen who has the power to vote. Every citizen has become a fighter with that weapon. And they must learn everything about war criminals and make sure they don't have access to our sacred parliament," said Sector Commander Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury.
The nation celebrated 37 years of liberation yesterday, saluting the valiant sons and daughters of the soil who made the supreme sacrifice in the Liberation War in 1971 for an independent and modern democratic state.
With the spirit of independence, thousands of people of all walks and ages across the country gathered at the memorials of the martyrs. They paid tributes to the national heroes amid renewed calls for trial of war criminals and boycotting them in the polls.
Osman Chowdhury added, "The harmful anti-liberation elements have grown up under shelter of dirty politics over the years and are getting prepared to eat up the country."
The programme titled "Reunion of freedom fighters living in Dhaka and Sector-2 in Dhaka" organised by Dhaka City Corporation at Osmani Udyan in the morning was attended by freedom fighters, government and DCC officials and many others.
"Prove it through your judgment on December 29 this is the country of freedom fighters and Jamaat-e-Islami, Al Badr, and Al Shams don't belong to this country," said Coordinator of Sector Commanders Forum (SCF) Lt General (retd) Harun-ar-Rashid.
"We must be united with a determination that none of us would cast vote for a war criminal," said KM Shafiullah.
He added, "The next government must raise a bill to try the war criminals at the very first session of the next parliament."
"Remain vigilant so that war criminals don't win this election. Let the sky and air of Bangla be resonated with the slogan 'We want trial of war criminals,'" said Commander of Sector-4 Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta.
He emphasised the necessity to resist war criminals through election.
"All the political parties have exploited the freedom fighters over the years since independence and some opportunists and betrayers among the freedom fighters also enjoyed facilities from them," said Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Brig Gen (retd) MA Malek.
He said neither Muktijoddha Command Council nor Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust is running to protect the interest and welfare of the freedom fighters.
DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, who chaired the programme, called on future mayors to name city streets after valiant freedom fighters.
The DCC named 65 streets in Dhaka after freedom fighters since 2002. Khoka also mentioned initiatives have been taken to decorate Osmani Udyan featuring the incidents happened in different sectors during the Liberation War.
Sector Commanders Forum Chairman and deputy commander-in-chief of the Liberation War Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker, Maj Gen (retd) M Azizur Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Zafar Imam, Lt Col (retd) HMA Gaffar and Lt Col (retd) Nurunnabi Khan spoke, among others, at the programme.
At one stage, the programme got heated with protests from freedom fighters as Lt Col (retd) HMA Gaffar uttered "Bangladesh Zindabad" on completion of his speech instead of popular 'Joy Bangla,' the Liberation War cry.
Seeing the huge protests Mayor Khoka avoided uttering the words and finished his speech saying "Allah Hafez" instead.
Meanwhile, President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed placed wreaths at the National Memorial to pay homage to the Liberation War martyrs. They stood for a few moments in silence to pay respects to the gallant heroes.
The chief adviser later inaugurated the Victory Day rally and parade of children and juveniles at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital.
Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia with their party leaders also placed wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar.