The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF) will stage demonstration on the spot if they were stopped anywhere to hold national convention rescheduled for March 21.

Chief Coordinator of the Forum Liberation War veteran former Army Chief Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ur-Rashid Bir Bikram said this yesterday at a press conference at the SCF office at Banani in the city.

"We would speak to the nation at the place where we would be stopped," said Gen Harun.

"We have taken all the preparations to hold the convention and the government will take steps to ensure that the convention is held peacefully," he said.

Gen Haurn said the forum agreed with the Government to make no provocative remarks or campaign using loudspeakers and posters. The planned convention is the part of a series of programmes to create awareness among people for the demand of the trial of war criminals. The convention was stopped by a government notice that it would harm law and order on March 13 was scheduled to be held on March 15 at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre.

The same programme was also scheduled to be held on December 13 last year but at that time the Government gave the SCF permission only a day before the scheduled date.

"The demand for the trial of war criminals has become a national demand. The state has to arrange the trial of the war criminals," Gen Harun said.

"The present government has done many things that have no direct link with the elections.

We want the trial process to begin either through formation of a commission or through appeal to the United Nations," he added.

The former army chief said they had asked foreign embassies not to provide the war criminals with any help, giving visa, in particular. He thanked those embassies that had accepted the plea.

On March 16, the forum applied to the home secretary for necessary help to hold the convention on March 21, saying it would comply with the Government conditions.

Gen Haurn said the Government's refusal to give the permission for the March 15 convention had hurt the freedom fighters and cheered up war criminals.

"We were not allowed to hold an indoor conference. But nothing happened to the party staging demonstrations carrying sticks. Law should be equally applicable to all," he demanded.