The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Sector Commanders Forum yesterday urged the caretaker government to seek the United Nations (UN) assistance for trial of the 1971 war criminals following examples of the several other countries.

"If any country fails to bring those, who persecuted its people to justice that would eventually appear to be a failed state," Deputy Chief of Staff of the Liberation Forces Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khondokar told an opinion exchange meeting with journalists at RAWA Club in the city.

He urged the government to seek the UN assistance to try the war criminals as the UN facilitated such trials in the several other countries, including Cambodia.

Liberation War sector commanders, including Bangla-desh's first Army Chief Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta and Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury, several other 1971 veterans and former Army Chief Lt Gen (retd) Harunur Rashid, spoke on the occasion.

The meeting was told that the Forum would call for a countrywide blackout for one minute at midnight on March 25, recalling the black night of 25th March of 1971. It will also organise a grand national rally in Dhaka on March 15 to intensify the ongoing campaign for the trial of the war criminals.

Shafiullah said if the government doesn't have any list of the war criminals, it could take it from the Sector Commanders Forum. "Just bring them to justice and the court will do the rest," he said.