The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Sector Commanders of the 1971 Liberation War yesterday announced that freedom fighters along with the people would resist any electoral alliance involving Jamaat-e-Islami or any anti-liberation organization for that matter.

"Jamaat will not get a single seat if there be no electoral alliance," Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker said at an opinion-exchange meeting with the electronic media at the Sector Commanders Forum's office at Banani. Demanding trial of war criminals, Khandaker said they would hope political parties would make a pledge in their election manifestos to try the war criminals if they returned to power.

He said the Sector Commanders Forum would hold a national convention on March 15 at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre with the permission of the administration.

After the meet, they would hold dialogue with pro-liberation and democratic political parties to take a clear stance against war criminals and anti-liberation organizations.

Former Army Chief Maj Gen (retd) AKM Shafiullah said political governments in the past could not hold trial of the war criminals, but the incumbent neutral caretaker government should not have any hesitation to initiate the process of the trial.

He also suggested that it must be made sure that war criminals can not participate in next general election.

Sector Commander Maj Gen (retd) C.R Dutta was present at the meeting.

The meeting was told that a list of 37,000 war criminals was prepared during the 1972-75 period, but later "President Zia's government pardoned some 26,000 war criminals".

Meanwhile, speakers at a seminar at the Muktijoddha Museum today joined their voice with the demanded for trial of war criminals.

Former Chief Advisor of caretaker government Justice Habibur Rahman said the government should make a move for putting the war criminals to trial and a "clear law should be enacted so the war criminals couldn't contest elections".

Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed had earlier declined to initiate the trial for the 1971 war crimes, saying that his government has time constraints and is focused on holding the elections by the December deadline.