Dhaka: Bangladesh will begin the
controversial trial of the 1971 "war criminals" accused of
collaborating with the Pakistan Army by March, the Law
Minister said on Sunday.
Shafique Ahmed said the process for holding trial of
those accused of taking part in the "genocide" by the Pakistan
Army during Bangladesh's 1971 "War of independence" will start
by March next year at the Old High Court building.
The government had decided to set up a tribunal for
the trial at the building. Construction of the courtrooms and
other offices will be completed by January, he said.
After the courtrooms and relevant offices are set up,
the government will appoint prosecutors and investigators for
the trial, The Daily Star newspaper quoted the minister as
saying today. He said the investigation agency and the
prosecution team would start work by March next year.
Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of main opposition
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and several other radical
rightwing groups have been accused of helping the Pakistani
military during the 'Liberation War'.
Jamaat's chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary
General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid led the so-called Al-Badr
forces, which is widely believed to have been involved in
genocide, rape and murder of intellectuals in an effort to
cripple the emerging nation in 1971.
However, the Law Minister underlined that nobody would
be harassed political reason. The ruling Awami League, which
has vowed to punish the criminals during the 'independence
war', earlier demanded an apology from Pakistan for the
killing of three million Bangladeshis and rape of lakhs of
women by its army during the bloody nine-month war.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, December 27, 2009, 20:02