*Fri, Mar 21st, 2008 9:28 pm BdST*
*Dhaka, March 21 (bdnews24.com)—The day-long national convention of the
Sector Commanders Forum ended Friday with the announcement of a 16-point
declaration that included demand for a quick start of the trial process of
'war criminals'.
The declaration also demanded filing of cases by the state for trial of the
war criminals, appealing to the UN for an international tribunal, banning
parties of war criminals from the election and building public opinion to
boycott them socially and politically.
In the declaration, the SCF urged people to observe one-minute silence
throughout the country on the midnight of March 25 (Tuesday).
In his introductory speech at the national convention at the
Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, the SCF president, retired
air vice marshal AK Khandker, said: "Trial of the war criminals will be held
on the soil of the country. Our movement will continue till the trial
process starts."
In the first session, former chief adviser of a caretaker government,
Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman, said, "Though the war criminals were not
tried in the country, killers, rapists and plunderers during the Liberation
War were tried. Preparation for a complex trial process like war crimes
would have to be made by creating an environment of justice in the country.
If the issue of the trial lingers for an indefinite period, it will not
bring welfare to the country."
"Let a tribunal be formed immediately and the trial process expedited by
forming an enquiry commission," he said.
At the same time the former chief justice urged the government to appeal to
the UN General Assembly to expedite the trial of war criminals issue.
Nearly 1,500 people, including Liberation War sector commanders, were
present at Friday's convention.
At the outset, the delegates observed a minute's silence in remembrance of
the martyred freedom fighters, which was followed by rendition of the
national anthem. Then excerpts from the holy Quran, the Geeta, the Bible and
the Tripitaka were read out.
On the main dais were seated Justice Habibur Rahman, professor Anisuzzaman,
professor Serajul Islam Chowdhury, SCF chairperson AK Khandker, sector
commander retired Maj Gen KM Shafiullah, retired Lt Gen Mir Shawkat Ali and
retired Maj Gen CR Dutta.
The politicians present on the occasion included Tofail Ahmed of Awami
League, Suranjit Sengupta, Rashed Khan Menon of Workers Party, Dilip Barua
from Samyabadi Dal, Hasanul Haque Inu of JSD and other eminent personalities
such as Birsreshthho Motiur Rahman's wife Mili Rahman.
On the occasion, police security was stepped up and the whole area wore a
festive look as national flags and colourful banners and festoons adorned
all its facades and corners.
In his opening speech, Khandker 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."
He said: "The war criminals' trials should be held as soon as possible to
ensure justice and holding free and fair national polls. The nation today
seems united on barring the war criminals from all elections."
Urging all to join hands in the streets voicing demands of holding the war
criminals' trials, Khandker said: "We must succeed in doing what we now
profess to accomplish so many years after the war."
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."
Educationist 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."
Educationist Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury said, "There is fault in the root
of the state as those who committed crime at its birth have not been tried.
Our failure to try the war criminals has rendered us guilty."
Sector Commander retired Major General 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."
Sector Commander retired Lt 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."
Sector commander 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."
Sector Commander Kazi Nuruzzaman said the people of all walks of life would
have to be united for the trial of war criminals.
SCF's member secretary Dr MA Hasan presented a paper on "Emergence of
Bangladesh: War Crimes and Genocide."*
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=45866&cid=3&us=6c22b98cc9bd28d21fcac7e9e1fee8a4
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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