The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

"Try them or shoot me," said a crying Hasna Banu, a Birangana, a war heroine, demanding the trial of war criminals. "I had sacrificed my chastity in 1971 and now I will sacrifice my life for another war to try the war criminals," she declared.

She was speaking at a Reunion of Female Freedom Fighters jointly organised by Mahila Muktijoddha Sangsad, BNPS and IED at the Chhayanot Culture Building in the city yesterday.

The trial of war criminals is the responsibility of the state as they had committed war crimes against the state and the Liberation War.

Speakers said the crimes that the war criminals committed against any individual was a part of their war against the state and for that it was the duty of the government to try them and provide the aggrieved people justice.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation Army Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khandoker was chief guest at the reunion.

At the gathering of the female freedom fighters and Biranganas everybody demanded the trial of those who had committed crime against humanity.

They urged the Chief Adviser to constitute a special tribunal and try the war criminals saying it was the duty of the state and the government was also inclined to do so.

The women who fought in the Liberation War also demanded of the Chief Election Commissioner to bar the war criminals from taking part in the election and diplomatic missions not to give them any visa and invite them to any party thrown by the mission.

Prof Sanjida Khatun, chief of Muktisangrami Shilpi Sanstha, was special guest at the reunion presided over by Dr Magduma Khanam Ratna, General Secretary of Mahila Muktijoddha Sangsad.

Mili Rahman, wife of Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman, Advocate Sahara Khatunm, Ayesha Khanam, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Krishna Rahman a freedom fighter, among others, spoke on the occasion.

AK Khandoker said initiative was taken to try the war criminal by the Bangabadhu Government and 572 war criminals were convicted but after the death of Bangabadhu former president Zia cancelled the collaborators act and freed all the detained war criminals.

"From now on our one and only demand is the trial of war criminals," he said, "The increase in crimes in the society is because we did not try the war criminals"

Mili Rahman urged all to be united in the demand for the trial of the war criminals and take oath that the trial would take place in this very land.

Sanjida Khatun said the war criminals could escape the trial and establish themselves in the society because of the distortion of the history of the Liberation war, which was started after the killing of Bangabadhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.