The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Sector Commanders Forum will hold a daylong convention on March 15, which will be participated by freedom fighters, professional organisations and people of different walks of life from all over the country for the demand to hold trial of war criminals.

The SCF would announce further course of action of their movement at the Bangladesh China Friendship Convention Centre.

It has urged the people to observe a one-minute blackout on 12:00 am on March 26, to observe the black day when the Pakistani Army cracked down on unarmed Bangalis in 1971 and press the demand for the trial of the war criminals and after that walk on the street with candle lights for lightening future.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation Army and Chairman of the SCF Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khandoker told this yesterday at a press conference at the Liberation War Museum in the city.

He said, "We urge every patriotic citizen of the country to observe a one minute black out on 12:00 am on March 26, the day when the Pakistani Hyenas cracked down on unarmed Bangalis in '71 and stand up with the demand of the trial of the war criminals who collaborated with the Pak Army and killed innocent Bangalis."

The war hero said, "We will discuss the types of crimes of the war criminals and legal way to punish them and will announce further course of action at the convention."

"We held meetings at the divisional cities of the country and we feel huge aspiration of people for the demand of the war criminals," he said.

AK Khandoker said the SCF had sent letters to the Chief Adviser, Army Chief and the Chief Election Commissioner to discuss about the trial of the war criminals but he was upset, as they were yet to respond them.

"We had sent letters to them but we are a bit upset, as they did not respond us yet. I think they have some barriers for that they were not able to take steps in this regard."

Former Army Chief Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ur-Rashid said they would form a victims' forum to give the information about the crimes of the war criminals.

He said the state should initiate the trial as the victims were victimised for the sake of the country and it was the responsibility of the state to try the criminals, who opposed the country's independence.

"The Government should form an international tribunal and try the war criminals," he said.

The former Army Chief said around 12,000 war criminals were behind the bar and punished after the general mercy given to those who were not involved in killing, looting or in other crimes. But those were also released by the cancellation of the collaborators act in December 1975.