Sector commanders ask govt to hold war crime trial

Dhaka, Dec 16 (bdprem.com) – Freedom fighters including some sector commanders of the 1971 War of Independence Sunday asked the government to hold war crime trial in a special tribunal from a Victory Day get-together in the city. The congregation of the freedom fighters from Sector 2 and war veterans living in Dhaka, held every year at the Nagar Bhaban, was organised by mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka. Your Ad Here They said the previous governments had reneged on their promises to try 'war criminals' for political and personal interests. Deputy chief of command and former air force chief AK Khandker, retired lieutenant general Mir Shawkat Ali (sector-5 commander), retired major general KM Shafiullah (sector-3 commander) and retired major general CR Dutta (sector-4 commander) were present among others. Khandker said people had agreed on the demands of the Sector Commanders' Forum to hold war crime trial. "This government has to take the initiative. A special tribunal should be formed," he said. Retired colonel Kazi Nuruzzaman (sector-7 commander), who also attended the programme, said the country was facing a crisis at the moment. "The main problem of the country is the lack of leadership, poor governance and gross corruption," he said. Mir Shawkat strongly criticised Jamaat-e-Islami's claim of the country having no 'war criminals'. He said the party's chief and former minister Motiur Rahman Nizami was the commander of the Al Badr in 1971. He said members of Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams, who collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces, would have to face trial.