The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Liberation War veterans have called for their countrymen who collaborated with Pakistan to face war crimes trials and announced a 16-point declaration and demanded quick start of the trial of the war criminals.

Hundreds of the veterans who took part in the victorious war against Pakistan travelled to Dhaka to issue the call at the request of their former commanders.

The declaration includes the demand of filing cases by the state for the trial of the war criminals, appealing to the UN for forming an International tribunal and banning the parties of war criminals from participating the election.

War veterans from the convention that was delayed before for not getting Government permission urged all to create public opinion to boycott them socially and politically. The Liberation War heroes urged people to observe a one-minute blackout throughout the country on midnight of March 25.

They say Bangladeshis who collaborated with Pakistani forces caused the deaths of thousands of civilians. Many of those they want tried are politically influential figures.

They include the leaders of largest Islamic party of the country, Jamaat-e-Islami, which at the time opposed the break-up of Pakistan.

To this day, the leaders of the party deny a war of liberation took place, rather calling it a civil war.

The Deputy Commander in Chief of the Liberation War and SCF president Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khandoker in his introductory speech said, "The trial of the war criminals will be held on this soil of the country. Our movement will continue till the trial starts."

Nearly 1500 people attended the convention including liberation war veterans, civil society representatives and politicians.

Former Chief Adviser of Caretaker Government Justice Habibur Rahman, Prof Anisuzzaman, Prof Dr Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, sector commanders Maj Gen (Retd) KM Shafiullah, Col (Retd) Kazi Nuruzzaman, Lt Gen (Retd) Mir Showkat Ali and Maj Gen (Retd) CR Dutta were on the main dais.

The politicians present on the occasion included Awami League Leaders Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Dhaka city Mayor and BNP leader Sadek Hossain Khoka, Rashed Khan Menon of Workers Party, Dilip Barua from Samyabadi Dal, Hasanul Haque Inu of JSD, among others.

On the first session Justice Habibur Rahman about the forming of the special tribunal said, "Let a tribunal be formed immediately and the trial process expedited by forming an enquiry commission".

In his speech AK Khandoker said, "No government has so far taken any punitive steps against the war criminals. As they remained unpunished, offenders from subsequent generations tended to be compulsively delinquents, defying all social and legal barriers."

Former army chief Lt Gen (retired) Harun-Ur-Rashid said, "Nations all around us are at this moment trying war criminals in at least 31 places all over the world. We must be able to accomplish it too, or all our anti-graft work and words will seem futile and hollow."

Prof Dr Anisuzzaman said, "The present caretaker government would have to initiate the trial process of the war criminals. As the war crime is a crime against the state, the state would have to take the initiative and take steps against it."

Gen KM Shafiullah said, "Bangalees will not tolerate them who ridicule the Liberation War. It is now the demand of 15 crore people to try the war criminals."

Gen Mir Shawkat Ali said, "The freedom fighters will have to be united demanding trial of the war criminals. The head of the government, the chief of army and the chief election commissioner have commented that the war criminals should be tried. You have power. Make a tribunal for their trial."

Gen CR Dutta said the freedom fighters had been misled for 37 years, "There should not be any division and all should unite based on a non-communal base. This movement will continue until the war criminals are tried."

Col Nuruzzaman said people of all walks of life should unite for the demand of the war criminals.

The security system at the convention centre was tight.