The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Calls came again on Victory Day for quick trial of 1971 war criminals, 38 years after Bangladesh's Liberation War ended with an estimated three million lives lost.

On this day in 1971, the Pakistan army surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India at Ramna Racecourse Maidan in Dhaka, ending the painful nine-month war that saw the birth of the new nation.

The war crimes committed by Pakistan forces and their local collaborators during those nine months included indiscriminate torture and mass killing of civilians, the annihilation of intellectuals and rape of tens of thousands of women.

The Awami League government, coming to power in January, made an electoral pledge to hold the long-awaited trials. After year-long preparations, it says the trials will begin in February.

Sectors Commanders Forum convenor Lt Gen (retd) Harun-ur Rashid told bdnews24.com: "The nation expects that the issue will be settled during this government as it was among the electoral pledges of this government."

Awami League general Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters at the National Memorial: "The time demands the trial of war criminals. And the government is sincerely working to make that trial process transparent."

But public sentiment, among the crowds celebrating V-Day on Wednesday, revealed impatience with perceived delays in trying the war crimes.

Mizanur Rahman, who works for a private firm, told bdnews24.com in front of the National Parliament: "We want people get justice."

Others gathered at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Ramna Park, Dhaka University campus and elsewhere in the capital echoed Rahman.

Mostafizur Rahman, an Old Dhaka trader, also a son of a freedom fighter, joined the celebrations at to Dhaka University campus. He told bdnews24.com: "Trial should be as soon as possible."

Many groups, including the main cultural organiser of the day's festivities, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, also demanded that the government start the trial of war criminals immediately, at ceremonies marking Victory Day on Wednesday.

However, a van driver at Gonobhaban, Abdul Hannan, felt the development of the country was more important than trying the war criminals.

"The war criminals were not tried when they should have been. Sheikh Mujib forgave them. What's the use of trying them now? Better if we try to develop the country."

Mujahidul Islam Selim, general secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh, called on the government to make no further delay.

After placing flowers at National Memorial, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad told reporters: "The trial of war criminals has to be begun without further delay."

However, opposition BNP has cautioned the government so that the trials are not "politicised".

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said Wednesday: "BNP wants the trial of war criminals. But, the government has to be cautious so that that trial is held transparently on the basis of specific facts and evidence."

Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, an ally of the AL-led coalition government, said: "The trials process has begun. They will be held soon."

The Awami League led government has completed a number of preparations for the trials this year. The International Crimes (Tribunal) Act has been amended and the establishment of tribunal at a house of Abdul Gani road is in progress.

Bangladesh after emerging as an independent nation on Dec 16, 1971 took initiatives to try the local collaborators of the Pakistan army, mainly comprising the Rajakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams militias.

Bangladesh claimed that Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators killed three million innocent people and raped 200,000 women.

The then government issued the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunal) Ordinance on Jan 24, 1972. It established 73 special tribunals across the country on March 28 that year to try those for anti-humanity crimes.

The trial proceedings began with 37,471 detained and the trial of 2,848 people was completed by Oct 31, 1973. The court sentenced 752 to death and 2,096 were freed without proof.

Some 26,000 were freed under general amnesty declared on Nov 30, 1973. But those accused of killing, raping, looting, arson and kidnapping were declared beyond the amnesty.

Proceedings for trial of around 11,000 accused were on the way at that time even after the general amnesty, which came to stop after Bangabandhu was killed in 1975.

After the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Aug 15, 1975, the following government annulled the collaborator's ordinance on December 31.