Youths call for speedy war crimes trial
A group of representatives of the young generation yesterday urged the government to speed up the trial of war criminals, expressing their disappointment over the slow progress.
The government is unnecessarily taking time to try the recognised war criminals, they said, sharing their views at a programme titled "Trial of the war criminals: role of students" at TSC of Dhaka University.
Sector Commanders Forum (SCF) organised the meeting where students of different public and private universities, including DU, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University and Stamford University, leaders of several student organisations, beginning journalists, and cultural activists took part.
Terming war crimes a curse, the students demanded quick trial of the criminals to free the nation of the stigma.
"Youths voted for the Awami League led 14-party grand alliance in 2009, as they promised to punish the war criminals. But the government is yet to do it", said Hasan Nitol, president of Dhaka University Journalists' Association (Duja).
Mehadi Hasan, DU unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, said thousands of youths had been eagerly waiting to see the war criminals get punished. He also urged the young generation to come up with support for the trial.
Acting President of DU unit Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Ripon Kumar Das, urged the government to set up more tribunals to accelerate the trial process.
Joydev Nandi, vice president of BCL, said not only the recognised war criminals but their patrons should be brought to trial.
In the question-answer session, Haroon Habib, acting secretary general of SCF, said youths should remain alert against all sorts of conspiracy aimed at foiling the trial of war criminals, as, he said, Jamaat-e-Islami had been spending thousands of bucks on hiring foreign lobbyists to halt the trial.
"It's a surprise that Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, who is under trial on charge of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, recently threatened a tribunal during proceedings", said Haroon Habib, also a guerrilla freedom fighter and a distinguished journalist.
SCF Chairman and Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandker, SCF Vice Chairman Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, and SCF Joint Secretary General M Hamid also addressed the programme.
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