No war criminals in Bangladesh, says SCBA president
Staff Reporter
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Khandker Mahbub Hossain has told a seminar in New York that there is no war criminal in Bangladesh.
"After the Independent War, the Awami League government had handed over 195 genuine war criminals to Pakistan. Now it is trying to hold trial of war criminals to disperse the political unity of BNP and Jamaat," he said.
Khandaker Mahbub was addressing the seminar on 'War Crime Tribunal Act of 1971' as the chief guest at Stan Jhon College in New York on Saturday. Human
Rights and Development for Bangladesh (HRDB) organised the seminar, says News World from New York.
The SCBA president said that if the government wants to hold the trial of the actual war criminals, it has to hold the trial first of those war criminals who are Pakistanis. If anybody or any quarter opposes the Independent War politically, their trials could not be held first, he added.
He mentioned that being politically motivated some quarters may publish many things in newspapers but any trial process can not be held considering those news as the basic evidences. For proving allegation, the judiciary demands direct witnesses, among other things, he added.
He alleged that the present government's tribunal on war crimes and crimes against humanity does not follow the Nuremberg Trial.
Khandaker Mahbub said that the people's mandate against the misrule of the government has been reflected in the Cittagong mayoral election.
He remarked that the torture on Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman in remand is completely violation of human rights.
Presided over by HRDB president Mahtab Uddin Ahmed the programme was addressed, among others, by associate professor of Washington Jorge Town University Dr Jakir Hafiz and attorney Tajul Islam.
The New Nation - Internet Edition