Both BNP groups want ' war criminals' in the dock

Dhaka, Dec 16 (bdprem.com) –Both factions of the BNP Sunday called for all 1971 'war criminals' to be tried. They, however, were divided over whether the caretaker administration or an elected government should do the job. Your Ad Here "The war criminals should be tried. This is the duty of the government, but not the caretaker government," said Nazrul Islam Khan, a leader in the Khandaker Delwar Hossain-faction of the BNP. "An elected government should do the job. A caretaker government is to hold a free and fair election," added the party leader after placing wreaths at the grave of former President Ziaur Rahman. However, Hafizuddin Ahmed, the secretary general posted by the BNP standing committee earlier, said: "I want the war criminals to be tried. The incumbent government will have to do the job." "Those who had formed a people's court at Suhrawardi Uddyan to try war criminals, conveniently forgot the issue when a party of their choice assumed power in 1996," he added. Former secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan also called on the caretaker government to put the 'war criminals' on trial, while attending a programme on Victory Day organised by the reformist faction. These statements constituted the first demand of the BNP for such trials since the Liberation War 36 years ago. The two factions placed wreaths at the grave of president Ziaur Rahman amid tight security to avert a repeat of any incident that erupted between the factions on Nov 7. Hafiz told reporters: "The BNP never allied itself with the war criminals. It allied with political parties. If anyone has any link to war crimes, he must be tried." "Those who withdraw from Zia's ethics create confusion. We should be wary of them," Hafiz said.