Bangladesh: Flowers in hand, they call for justice

Freedom fighters descended in their thousands on the National Memorial to pay homage to the 1971 Liberation War martyrs on the Victory Day on Sunday and said they wanted the war crimes trial finished before the Independence Day on Mar 26. They think BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia should toss out Jamaat-e-Islami, which had opposed the independence from Pakistan, from the opposition alliance for the sake of Bangladesh. Harunur Rashid is a war veteran who fought the Pakistanis in Sector-6. He told bdnews24.com at the Memorial: "The nation had long been waiting for the war crimes trial. Even though it is already late, the government has taken measures to this end. I hope the trial will end before the Independence Day." "Otherwise," he added, "The soul of the martyrs will remain in pain." The 65-year-old freedom fighter also expressed concern over possible obstacles to the trial being completed in case of changes in power. Sector-2 freedom fighter Abdur Rashid was disappointed with the two International Crimes Tribunals failing to deliver any verdict. "We want the killers to be tried before the Independence Day on the 26th of March." Any sort of uncertainty in the war crimes trial may invite a horrible consequence for the people, along with the freedom fighters, he feared. "I was a soldier. I think BNP, the party formed by Ziaur Rahman, should forsake Jamaat," he said. Sector-9 freedom fighter Mohammad Shah Alam agreed with Harunur Rashid and Abdur Rashid. Around three million Bangladeshis had been killed by the Pakistani forces in the nine-month war for freedom. Their local collaborators were not far behind them in the killings, torturing, raping and looting. The International Crimes Tribunals, formed after the Awami League had taken charge, are trying nine top Jamaat leaders and two of the BNP for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity. Some cases are at the finishing stages.