War Crimes Trial

Innocents won't be harassed

Says Ctg mayor

17 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Chittagong City Corporation Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury yesterday urged the media persons to help create public opinion to expedite the trial of war criminals. "Unless the war criminals are tried, the new generations would blame us for our failure," said the mayor, also the president of Chittagong city Awami League, while exchanging greetings with the journalists at his Chashma Hill residence on the occasion of Bengali New Year. Ruling out the possibility of harassing innocent people in the name of trial, he said the process of identifying war criminals has already been underway to ensure that only the real war criminals are tried and punished. The freedom fighters are involved in the process as they know each and every one who had been engaged in war crimes and their role during the liberation war in Chittagong, the mayor said. Like previous occasions, Chittagong would play the pioneering role in this regard, he said. He also said, "We hope that no quarters would dare to foil the trial of war criminals." The mayor said that ward level committees are being formed to create public opinion in favour of the trial. Each committee would comprise 100 freedom fighters and AL leaders and activists and 25 persons from different professional bodies. Asked about the possible number of war criminals in Chittagong, he said the figure might range from 500 to 1000 or above. Chittagong Press Club President Abu Sufian and Chittagong Union of Journalists (CUJ) President Shahid Ul Alam were present on the occasion.