Try war criminals, ban Jamaat-Shibir politics

Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, a forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971, yesterday brought out a protest procession on the Dhaka University (DU) campus demanding the trial of war criminals.Freedom fighters, students, cultural activists, civil society representatives and general people took part in the programme that also demanded punishment to Jamaat-Shibir cadres who assaulted freedom fighter Sheikh Muhammad Aman Ali at the Diploma Engineers' Institute in the city on July 11.Starting from the Central Shaheed Minar, the procession paraded around Doyel Chattar, TSC and then returned to the Shaheed Minar. Around 2000 people, who took part in the procession, chanted various slogans against the war criminals, Jamaat leaders and commanders of Al-Badr, Al-Shams and Razakaars. People standing on the roadside also expressed their solidarity with the processionists.Earlier at a rally on the Shaheed Minar, DU Professor Muntasir Mamun read out a declaration on behalf of the Nirmul Committee. The declaration demanded immediate trial of war criminals constituting a special tribunal, and ban on the so-called freedom fighters' organisation 'Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad' and the politics of Jamaat-e-Islami for its anti-liberation war role. The Nirmul Committee also called for raising the honourarium of the freedom fighters to Tk 10000 instead of present Tk 900 and free treatment for the freedom fighters and their family members in all hospitals. It also urged the political parties to boycott Jamaat and not to forge any alliance with it. National Professor and President of the advisory council of the Committee Kabir Chowdhury presided over the rally which was also addressed by DU Prof Anwar Hossain, Sector Commanders Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury, and journalist Shahriar Kabir. Kabir Chowdhury said the government must start the trial of the war criminals by constituting special tribunal, otherwise, the government would have to face public fury. Gen Shafiullah said though the chief adviser, army chief, chief election commissioner had told about the trial of the war criminals but there were no such steps. Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, Projanma Ekattor, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, JSD-Chhatra League, Greater Mirpur Muktijoddha Oikya Forum, Uttoradhikar Ekattor and other social and cultural organisations took part in the rally and the procession.