Editorial
Audacious and anti-people
We condemn the warning against war crimes trial
It is with great shock and disbelief that we must read reports of an announcement by a band of twelve 'Islamic' minded parties that they vehemently oppose the ongoing war crimes trial. They have even threatened to try 'Indian agents' if their demand for stopping the trial were not met.
Nothing could get more audacious, reactionary and outrageous than this. We find no words strong enough to condemn such a repulsive move. The people of this land have waited an excruciating four decades for this trial to happen. This gives hope of a semblance of respect for the victims of heinous crimes against them during the Liberation War and repayment of a part of the debts owed to them. How dare this group, hideous in its intentions, belittle and oppose such an endeavour that may provide a small amount of solace to the gaping wounds the dear and near ones of these victims continue to bear. As a nation born from the supreme sacrifice of our martyrs, we are morally bound to seek justice for these crimes. To oppose the trial is a direct attack on our identity as Bangladeshis.
If these individuals had anything to say about transparency of the legal process that would still have been acceptable, provided proper evidence of such a claim was given with suggestions for improvement, if any. But this group completely nullifies the purpose of this momentous trial which is to seek justice for crimes committed against humanity.
The other demands these people are making -- one of them is to scrap the women's development policy' -- are ominous expressions of fanaticism and distortion of religion that directly contradict the spirit of our constitution and of our Liberation Movement.
We are talking about twelve parties right now. We have no idea how many members each party has or how many more such 'likeminded' groups there are. Whoever they are, they are doing patent disservice to the country. They must not be allowed to make such seditious and antidemocratic statements.
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