Give priority to trial of war criminals: Deputy speaker

29 September 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali yesterday said the government should give top priority to the trial of criminals who committed crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971. The first and most important task of the government is to hold the trial to uphold the spirit of the liberation war, said Shawkat Ali at a discussion in the city. Sampradayikata-Jangibad Birodhi Morcha (a platform against communalism and militancy) organised the discussion at Liberation War Museum auditorium marking a signature campaign to press the demand of holding the trial soon. All the criminals have to be brought to book, whatever time it will take, he added. “We have to strengthen our demand of trying the war criminals and the government have to involve more and more people to press home the demand,” said the deputy speaker. Former Justice Golam Rabbani said that any war criminal should not be given chance to run their politics in Bangladesh. “Trial of the war criminals is not enough, religious based politics and education should also be banned,” added Rabbani. General secretary of Sectors Commanders' Forum, Lt Gen (retd) Harun-or-Rashid Bir Protik alleged that there is a confusion in the government over the trial of war criminals. “We have to force the government to hold the trial immediately,” he added. Ajoy Roy, coordinator of the platform, said Khaleda's recent speech supporting the war criminals is a “bad omen” for the country. He demanded to arrest rest of the war criminals, including Ghulam Azam immediately. Pankaj Bhatyacharja, presidium member of Gonoforum, said the trial have to be completed soon to fulfill the cherished goal of the independence and save the sovereignty of the country. Shaheed Jaya Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, general secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Sharif Nurul Ambia, Politburo member of Workers Party of Bangladesh Bimal Biswas, among others, spoke.