Energy Bangla - Trial of Criminals against Humanity Commences

Bangladesh Government announced formation of Liberation War Crime Tribunal on the eve of commencement of 40^th Anniversary of Glorious Liberation war 1971.The criminals who conducted or abetted genocide, raping, arsenal or any other acts against humanity will be tried under the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973. The act suggests the highest death penalty and the lowest 10 years of imprisonment for crimes like massacres, murders, arsons and rapes and allows convicts to file appeals only before the apex Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

The structure of trail organisation is

Three member tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq of High Court Division.Two other members are High Court judge AKM Fazle Kabir and retired district judge AKM Zahir Ahmed.
PP of Rajshahi Advocate Golam Arif Tipu Leads leads the 12 member prosecution team. Other prosecution lawyers are Advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman, Advocate Golam Hasnain, Advocate Rana Das Gupta, Advocate Zahirul Haque, Advocate Nurul Islam Sujan, Advocate Syed Hayder Ali, Advocate Khandaker Abdul Mannan, Advocate Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, Advocate Jiad Al Malum, Advocate Sanjida Khanam and Advocate Sultan Mahmud Semon.
Former Additional Secretary Abdul Matin will lead 7 member investigation team which also includes retired additional IGP Abdur Rahim, Retired DIG Kutubur Rahman, Major (Retd) Shamsul Arefin, Additional DIG CID Mir Shahidul Islam, CID Inspectors Nurul Islam and Abdur Razzak.

To all of us who witnessed liberation war and played some role it is a disgrace that the nation had to await for 40 long years to even start the trail process. The liberation of Bangladesh was earned in 9 months bloody battle from Midnight of March 25^th till December 16^th 1971.Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of liberation war declared liberation war immediately after Pakistan Army started mass genocide in the name of “ Operation Search Light”. Hundreds and thousands of EPR at Peelkhna , Police at Razarbagh, Students at different Dhaka University Halls and innocent Dhakaites were killed indiscriminately. Unarmed Bangladeshis were forced to enage into bloody battle against one of the sophisticated armed force. People from all walks of lives joined the 9^th months liberation war. Most of the others helped the war in many different ways. Many organised public opinion, world opinion against genocide at home and abroad. Artists, singers, players, actors all were together .Almost 99.9% of seven and half crore were in favour of liberation war. Only a handful traitors abetted the killers and actively collaborated with occupation Pakistan army although the war. These group formed different para -militia forces like Razkar, AlBadar and Al Shams. These criminals also killed hundreds of our intelligentsia –Journalists, Poets, Doctors, Engineers, University teachers even 2 days before the liberation war.

Bangbandhu after indepence in the parliament passed Collaborators act. Politics based on religion was banned in secular Bangladesh. Secularism was one of the fundamental pillars of Bangladesh Constitution along with socialism, democracy and nationalism. .Thousands of criminals were arrested. But some poor Bangladeshis who for mere living joined these Para militia and against whom no acts of crime against humanity were recorded were pardoned by the Government of Bangabndhu under general amnesty. But few thosands against whom there were allegations of killings/murders, raping, looting and arsenal was not covered under general amnesty. If one reads General Amnesty it will become clear to all that some quarter with ulterior motive tried to seek excuse in General amnesty.

Unfortunately nation could not protect Bangabnadhu and 4 main leaders of indepence from multi dimensional conspiracy of the defeated force and their planted agents in our liberation war. Army ruler General Ziaur Rahman taking over state power at gun point and introducing military democracy dissected constitution, scrapped collaborators act, freed all criminals, reinstated citizenship of major alleged war criminal and even made some top war crimnals Prime Minister and Minister, From August 1975 till 1981 some Liberal front sector commanders and several freedom fighters were killed and defeated force were allowed to be rehabilitated. An indemnity bill was passed in rubber stamp parliament indemnifying killers of Bangabandhu. Slowly and gradually war criminals started penetrating at all spheres of life. Bangladesh was back pedalling from light to darkness.

Army Rulers Zia was also brutally killed which brought about another army general Ershad to state power. In almost 9 years corruption became institutionalised. Ershad also sponsored anti liberation force and remained in state power compromising with all criminals and killers.

Finally through peoples movement Autocrat Ershad was overthrown in 1990 and democracy in some form returned. But reactionary force managed to bring BNP in power which again ruled the country allaying with Pakistani interest and serving the cause of war criminals and anti liberation force. Mother of our n martyred freedom fighter friend Rumi respected late Zahanara Imam led a movement for eliminating War Criminals and Collaborators. They conducted symbolic trial in Gano Adalat.Unfortaunately her historic movement failed to arouse consciousness of the wife of a slain Liberation front leader .T rather Mrs Imam and others were tried as traitors. So the trail of War Criminals could not be thought of from 1975-1996.

First real chance to start trail process came when Bangabandhu daughter came to power with marginal majority in 1996. She led the government to scrap indemnity act and start trail process of Bangabandhu killers and Jail killers. She too also failed to act positively to start trial process of war criminals. In fact all round conspiracies of anti liberation force bogged her down. Several attempts were made ob n her life at that time. God saved PM Hasina .International and national conspiracies made pro liberation government unseated in 2001. We all know how country was run from 2002 -2006 by war crimnals steered corrupt alliance government. There was few more sate sponsored attempts to kill Hasina –the worst one was August 21^st in the broad day light at the heart of the capital Dhaka with Arges grenade and sniper bullets . Bangladesh became a safe heaven of terrorists and killers – a passage for arms haulage.

Awami League led Mahajote Alliance included trial of War Criminals as one of their major agenda in Election 2008.People voted massively in favour of Mahajote manifesto with the dream that War criminals would be punished through fair trial. Government in its 1-25 years in office already had to contain some more major attempts to destabilise the country .BDR killing was the result of such conspiracy. Some master plan was implemented to create civil war like situation. Government tried to contain. Government had to turn around from massive aftermath impact of Global recession , oil shock and price spirals of essential .The left over formalities of Bangabandhu Killing has been completed.

Now on the 40 th anniversary of liberation war the trial process of war criminal has been initiated. We are promised bound to our martyred freedom fighters to try these criminals against humanity. We don’t think any freedom loving people anywhere in the world will oppose it. We hope government will remain undaunted to try these criminals through free, open and credible trial. Press and media must refrain from printing or broadcasting speculative news and information. Let justice now take its own course. Let all genuine criminals get punished. But not a single innocent person must be harassed for political reasons. It will our fortune if we cam witness even one of the War criminal gets punished in our life time. Government has set the process and now it is up to the people to drive the trial process to conclusion. Anyone who has authentic evidences of crime must come forward to produce those to tribunal so that fair investigations can establish these for prosecution.

Mahajote Government has embarked on accomplishing its election agendas one by one. It will do much better if it now concentrates on Energy Crisis management, other utility supply, law and order situation. People want to love in peace and comfort. They are laest worried who rules them as long as they get tow square meals and can live and sleep properly in their birds nest.