Dhaka, Oct 5 (
bdnews24.com)—The nation is being pushed towards division and infighting because of the war crimes trial, which opposition chief Khaleda Zia says bypasses the 'general amnesty'.
"The real war criminals were released after the independence war. We could not try them," said the BNP chairperson, whose party is the key ally of Jamaat-e-Islami that has its top five top leaders detained on war crimes charges.
"The then government awarded the people who opposed the war a general amnesty. But now, after 40 years, the current government, in the name of war crimes trial are attempting to try them," she said on Tuesday at an Eid get-together.
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.
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.
Most of the people accused of war crimes — murder, loot, arson and rape — belong to Jamaat-e-Islami.
In a bid to try war criminals, investigators of the war crimes tribunal formed this year are gathering further evidence against top Jamaat leaders. The two-time former prime minister said: "Ill-motivated efforts are on to use the independence war as a tool to divide the nation. It is an attempt to distort the genuine history."
She claimed military ruler-turned-president Gen Ziaur Rahman, her husband, made moves to preserve the evidence and documents of the war. But, it had been stopped.
"Those who did not fight the war but were in India during the war are trying to be the champions of the independence war."
Khaleda said there has been political business over the independence war issue. "But for the welfare for the freedom-fighters, none but us did something,"
She also claimed that the government is biased while distributing certificates for the war veterans.
Khaleda alleged the parliament, administration and judiciary were all being ruined because of what she said was partisanship by the current government. "People do not have security. Only darkness lies ahead."
Senior BNP leaders, standing committee members and leaders of the BNP's associate organisations were present in the programme.
The programme was jointly organised by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal and Jatiyatabadi Muktijuddher Projonmo.
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