Bangladesh sets up 1971 war crimes tribunal

[Kinetic]

Well done BD and Hasina. At last you are doing that. It was one of the greatest crime against humanity. They wanted to destroy entire generation of educated people. Those anti-independence forces needed to be prosecuted just like the killers of Bangabandho.

 

[idune]

In 1996 to go to power Hasina went to meet Golam Azam who Awami League claimed to be a "war criminal". This nakedly expose awami deception of "war crime" issue used for supressing opponents.

 

[Al-zakir]

Opposition lawyers stress right to appeal


Fri, Apr 16th, 2010 9:08 pm BdST

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Dhaka, Apr 16 (bdnews24.com) – Pro-BNP and Pro-Jamaat-e-Islami lawyers have demanded a provision for a regular appeal in the war crimes trial.

Otherwise, they suggested, the law would not ensure justice to those accused, at a seminar in Dhaka on Friday.

However, according to Section 21 of the Amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act, a party has the right to appeal to the Appellate Division against a sentence, conviction or acquittal within 60 days of the ruling.

The National Forum for Protection of Human Rights (NFPHR) headed by former speaker and BNP leader, Jamiruddin Sircar, hosted the seminar.

Speaking as chief guest, justice TH Khan said, "There is nothing 'international' in the Act, though it has the word in the title."

Urging the government to amend the law, he said, "Holding trial through formation of tribunal will not do. There should be a scope for appeal too."

In his speech justice Abdur Rouf urged on the importance of fairness of the trial.

Referring to the tribunal judges he said that the process and sentences should be such that the judges themselves not be guilty of being partial to a certain party.

The speakers apprehended that many innocent people might be subject to harassment through the 1973 War Crimes Act.

The seminar was also addressed among others by professor Emazuddin Ahmed, Sircar, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

The government on March announced the war crimes panel of judges, investigators and prosecutors.

The investigation agency has already begun its work.

bdnews24.com/sit/mi/of/pks/ta/2101h.

 

[Al-zakir]

Hasin's adviser questions Matin's credibility
Fri, Apr 30th, 2010 6:25 pm

Dhaka, Apr 30 (bdnews24.com)–A government policymaker has alleged that the chief of the recently created investigation agency on

1971 crimes against humanity, Abdul Matin, was once an activist of an Islamist student organisation.

Prime minister's advisor Alauddin Ahmed made the startling revelation at a roundtable conference organised by media firm 'Vision 24' at Dhaka Reporters Unity office on Friday

Ahmed, who advises the head of the government on education and politics, said that Matin was once a presidential contender of a college section of the defunct student organisation Islami Chhatra Shangha, which later became the Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Jamaat's top leaders are alleged to have grossly perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in the nation's war of independence from Pakistan.

"With him heading the agency, it is easy to conceive the future of the trial, the matter should be treated seriously", he said.

A tribunal was formed on May 25 for holding trials for crimes against humanity during the 1971 war. A seven-member investigation agency was also constituted with Matin, a former additional secretary to the government.

Revealing that one of the agency's members has refused to start work yet, apparently for his lack of confidence in the agency chief, Ahmed said, "He is being persuaded to change his mind."

The advisor said he already took the matter up with the prime minister and assured the audience of finding an amicable solution to the controversy surrounding the investigation agency and the prosecution panel.

He told the roundtable titled 'Islam, Law and War Criminal Trial in the International Perspective' that if the trials were not held comprehensibly then the entire process would be hampered at every step.

Elaborating on the reason for his fear, he said the war criminals and their associates have infiltrated the administration to such extents that they are even hampering the issuing of small circulars.

Ahmed also commented that the Bangladesh embassies abroad have not been properly activated to garner support from foreign governments toward holding a fair trial.

He also said the government has reports of obstacle being raised in the collection of documentary evidence.

The advisor also insisted that the trials would be held during the tenure of this government and there is no scope for ambivalence regarding the government's determination.

He urged the younger generations, who believe in the spirit of the liberation war, to "continue their movement for holding the trial and not leave it to the government alone".

JSD chief Hasanul Haq Inu, who was present, urged the prime minister to probe the weaknesses and errors in the formation of the investigation agency and prosecution panel.

Former Dhaka University vice chancellor AK Azad Chowdhury and Jatiya Party (Ershad) secretary general Sheikh Shahidul Islam, among others, spoke at the roundtable.

WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATIONAdviser questions Matin's credibility | | bdnews24.com

 

[Al-zakir]

Bangladesh war crime probe chief quits(AFP) – 3 hours ago

DHAKA — The lead investigator at Bangladesh's new war crimes tribunal, set up to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan, resigned Wednesday, an official said.

Abdul Matin, a former top bureaucrat, submitted his resignation in the wake of allegations by senior officials that he had ties to the country's main Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, which sided with Pakistan during the war.

"He resigned citing personal reasons," the home ministry's senior information officer Mohammad Sahenor Miah said.

Matin was named the head of the seven-member investigation team for a special tribunal, set up in March this year, to prosecute Bangladeshis who sided with Pakistan and committed murder, rape and arson during the war.

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami have been accused of both committing and facilitating the murder of freedom fighters and many of the country's intellectuals during the nine-month struggle.

Last month Alauddin Ahmed, an advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accused Matin of being a key activist for the Islamic Chhatra Sangha -- the now defunct student wing of Jamaat.

Matin has vigorously denied being a member of the student wing, saying that he was neither a freedom fighter nor an activist for any group which opposed the liberation struggle in 1971.

Bangladesh was part of Pakistan until an independence campaign, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, saw the country achieve independence, after a bloody war that the government claims killed three million people.

Rahman, the father of current prime minister Hasina, had planned to put alleged war criminals on trial before his assassination in a 1975 coup, which Hasina claims was masterminded by war criminals.

At least 11,000 detained war crime suspects were set free by the post-coup government, and Bangladesh has since struggled to come to terms with its bloody birth and the break-up of the subcontinent's Muslim homeland.

A private local organisation that has investigated the conflict has identified 1,775 people, including Pakistani generals and local Islamists allied with Pakistan, as being complicit in the atrocities.

AFP: Bangladesh war crime probe chief quits

 

[ejaz007]

Bangladesh war crimes tribunal issues first arrest warrants
Updated at: 1055 PST, Monday, July 26, 2010


DHAKA: Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal probing the country's bloody 1971 liberation struggle against Pakistan issued its first arrest warrants on Monday, court registrar Shahinul Islam told media.

The warrants target four senior leaders of the Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami accused of committing war crimes in 1971.

The tribunal, set up in March to try people accused of atrocities, held its first hearing Monday.

"The International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants against four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders over charges of war crimes," Islam said.

"The next hearing will be on August 2. All four suspects have already been arrested on other charges," he added.

Bangladesh war crimes tribunal issues first arrest warrants

 

[Pride]

Jamaat needs be proud of their stance in 1971. It was the real act of patriotism. They have not done anyting wrong for defending united pakistan. As a matter of fact, it was right thing to do as proud citizen of Pakistan.

If Jamaat's stance was for unified Pakistan there is no problem they can then settled into West Pakistan.. Can't they?

Question comes, what is their response now? If they are still in love with Pakistan, aren't they behaving like "Gaddar"?

 

[TopCat]

If Jamaat's stance was for unified Pakistan there is no problem they can then settled into West Pakistan.. Can't they?

Question comes, what is their response now? If they are still in love with Pakistan, aren't they behaving like "Gaddar"?

Pakistan will kick them back to this dirt land which they hates. Nobody wants trash in their own land.

 

[Al-zakir]

If Jamaat's stance was for unified Pakistan there is no problem they can then settled into West Pakistan.. Can't they?

Question comes, what is their response now? If they are still in love with Pakistan, aren't they behaving like "Gaddar"?

No one really asked a malaun to come defending Awami munafiq dalals. Did I kabab mein haddi.

 

[M_Saint]

If Jamaat's stance was for unified Pakistan there is no problem they can then settled into West Pakistan.. Can't they?

Question comes, what is their response now? If they are still in love with Pakistan, aren't they behaving like "Gaddar"?

When was the last time in PAK era Bengalis asked for a referrendum for a separate Bangladesh? Wasn't it us, the Bengalis willingly voted for joining in PAK federation in 1946? On the contrary, Kashmiries weren't even given a chance to have a plebescite but their freedom fighters were named as terrorists whereas ours was Mukti Jhuddas? So, shouldn't we ask for after- death trial of Indira Ghandi for invading a sovereign country instead of sending Jamaaties in W PAK?

Although PAK was broken by 'Force and deception', Jamaaties of BD never showed any love left for it dispite showing unflinching patriotism in time and time whereas AWAMY Rapist-Malauns always ran away to didi's laps in Bharat Bhumi during testing time. So, Gaddar word seemed misplaced by you, no?

 

[TopCat]

When was the last time in PAK era Bengalis asked for a referrendum for a separate Bangladesh? Wasn't it us, the Bengalis willingly voted for joining in PAK federation in 1946? On the contrary, Kashmiries weren't even given a chance to have a plebescite but their freedom fighters were named as terrorists whereas ours was Mukti Jhuddas? So, shouldn't we ask for after- death trial of Indira Ghandi for invading a sovereign country instead of sending Jamaaties in W PAK?

Although PAK was broken by 'Force and deception', Jamaaties of BD never showed any love left for it dispite showing unflinching patriotism in time and time whereas AWAMY Rapist-Malauns always ran away to didi's laps in Bharat Bhumi during testing time. So, Gaddar word seemed misplaced by you, no?

Your desperation is well understood...

 

[Tayyab1796]

I think this is just a political move by Hasina Government to turn away public attention from other pressing issues ... just trying to do politics over an issue about which there is so much ambigoity.

 

[TopCat]

I think this is just a political move by Hasina Government to turn away public attention from other pressing issues ... just trying to do politics over an issue about which there is so much ambigoity.

What is wrong with political move? For god sake they are a political party and they do politics out of public demand. Thats their profession.

 

[M_Saint]

Your desperation is well understood...

No, fire on stooge's azzes are spreading fast.

 

[M_Saint]

What is wrong with political move? For god sake they are a political party and they do politics out of public demand. Thats their profession.

This is the best response of a keen observation that you've come up with? No, AWAMY thugs hardly practice Poly+ethics but completely non-ethics and no again, Bangladeshi people don't have appetite to align with Awamy rapist's ulterior motives to revive 39 yrs long, dry shyte. Finally, AWAMY malauns masketeer as politicians but they are robbers, dacoits and killers, thanks.