Not trying war criminals was a mistake: Razzak

Dhaka, Dec 14 (bdprem.com) – Awami League presidium member Abdul Razzak Friday said not trying the anti-independence forces after the 1971 war was a mistake. Acting AL president Zillur Rahman said his party would try war criminals if it swept to power in future even if the incumbent government did not. Your Ad Here "We made a mistake. No counterrevolutionaries are kept alive after any armed struggle," Razzak said at a discussion meeting marking Martyred Intellectuals' Day at the party's central office. "However, in our country they are not only alive but they also have solid footing at all levels of society. The country is in its current state because the counterrevolutionaries are alive and kicking." He added that the nation would forever reel under utter shame if the war criminals were not tried. Razzak said the documents and evidence relating to the killing of the intellectuals were lost during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami-run coalition government. "We couldn't try the war criminals. But this government has done many good things, why can't they try the war criminals? We have the constitution, we have the law. There has to be the trial of war criminals." Zillur demanded trial of the war criminals saying, "If this government does not try the war criminals, we will when in power." "Some people of our country, under the leadership of Golam Azam, are responsible for killing the intellectuals," he added. He termed the cases against AL chief Sheikh Hasina false, saying that these cases were just intended to keep her behind bars. Policymaking presidium member Sayeda Sajeda Chowdhury said that instead of wasting time on meetings and discussions, people who had assisted Pakistan occupation forces and who were involved in torturing women had better be listed in every locality of the country. Her presidium colleague Suranjit Sengupta said threw a question to the advisorsto the carekater government, "We made a mistake alright, but where is the problem if you right our mistake?" He said, "The independence and the democracy need to be strengthened. We want the government immediately constitute a tribunal to try war criminals. No matter what else happens in this country, they have to be tried in this soil." Suranjit said, "The country cannot be purged of politics. Politics would have to be open to people." Shahin Reza Noor, son of martyred journalist Sirajuddin Hossain, said, "It's not possible in a civilised society to let go without trial of those who killed three million people. "The country is now divided on this point. We have the issue of national polls on one side, and trial of war criminals on the other. There is no chance to merge these two issues." He said to the government, "You start the trial. The next government will complete the task." He called on AL leaders to keep the issue as an important agenda.