The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League Saturday hoped that the incumbent government would initiate the trial process of the war criminals, while the reformist BNP observed that the next political government should start the process, as the main agenda of the caretaker government is to hold a free and fair election.

Participating in the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city, AL presidium member Abdur Razzak demanded immediate trial of the war criminals and pledged that his party would never form any sort of alliance with or seek any support from Jamaat-e-Islami to go to power.

BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said the war criminals should be put on trial after proving the allegations and termed the question whether they would form any alliance with Jamaat is "irrational". "If any person brings specific allegations against any war criminal, the person will of course get justice if the BNP is voted to power," he added.

Prof MM Akash of Dhaka University and executive director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Shangha Rokeya Kabir also participated in the sanglap as panelists. BBC Bangla Service in cooperation with the BBC World Service Trust organised the event, moderated by Shakeel Anwar of BBC Bangla Service.

Razzak, a former minister, asked where is the problem to try the war criminals when the whole nation, including the chief adviser, the chief of army staff and all political parties, demanded trial of the war criminals. "If we fail to try the war criminals, then one day, they will level us as war criminals."

Asked whether the AL and BNP would bring the war criminals to book if voted to power, the AL leader replied in the affirmative while the BNP leader said people would take the initiative to bring the war criminals to book, but the BNP does not oppose the trial of the war criminals.

Prof Akash observed that if the present government starts the process of trying war criminals, the next political government would be bound to try them.

Rokeya said it is the duty of the state to bring the war criminals to book to establish the rule of law and ensure human rights in the country.

Responding to another query, Prof Aksah said the government should release the detained teachers and students immediately as no government in the past could assume power through harming the Dhaka University. He said they would be forced to announce further programmes to press home their demand.

All the panelists demanded lifting of the state of emergency for the sake of holding a free and fair election.