Grand alliance for faster war crimes trial

The Awami League-led 14-party combine and other like-minded political parties supporting the trial of war criminals will bring out processions and hold rallies in every district of the country on January 7 to shape up public opinion on the issue. Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury announced the programme from a 'mass rally' of the grand alliance Thursday, reports bdnews24.com. The rally, organised to press home the demand for a faster trial and foil the opposition's alleged "conspiracy" to save those facing war crimes charges, was held at Suhrawardy Udyan. It began at 3:30pm on Shikha Chiranton premises -- the place where Pakistani forces had finally surrendered to the joint forces of Bangladeshi freedom fighters and the Indian army on December 16, 1971. Sajeda said similar rallies and processions would be organised in all upazilas on January 11 to drum up support for the trial of war criminals. At the beginning of the rally, Sajeda said, "We had brought independence shouting the slogan 'Joy Bangla'. Similarly, we will hold the trial of 'Rajakars' (local collaborators of the then Pakistani army) with the same slogan. "The Rajakars are still conspiring and committing murders. But their activities would no longer be tolerated. We have congregated here to speed up the trial of war criminals," she said. A one-minute silence was observed at the outset of the rally as a mark of respect to veteran Awami League leader and Liberation War hero Abdur Razzak. Among AL leaders present on the dais were Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Satish Chandra Roy, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, A F M Bahauddin Nasim, Ahmed Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Abu Sayed Al Mahmud Swapan, B M Mozammel Haque, Mezbahuddin Siraj, Abdul Aziz, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Qamrul Islam and A B M Tazul Islam.