Jamaat leaders to be shown arrested in war crime cases: Kamrul

Dhaka, July 23 (bdnews24.com) – State minister for law Kamrul Islam has said that the recently arrested top four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders will soon be 'shown arrested' in the International Crimes Tribunal.

Islam was speaking at a discussion titled 'War Crimes and Jamaat's Politics,' organised by Awami Muktijuddho Prajanma League at the National Press Club on Friday.

"The marked war criminals of 1971, who have been already apprehended, will be soon 'shown arrested' at the war crimes tribunal," he said.

He added that others will also be arrested and that steps are being taken "to transfer cases of the marked war criminals to the tribunal."

Two Dhaka courts ordered the transfer of war crimes cases, filed at Dhaka's Keraniganj and Pallabi, against the recently arrested Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, assistant secretaries general Abdul Quader Molla and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, to the International Crimes Tribunal.

Pointing out that the trial of war crimes is one of Awami League's poll pledges, the law state minister said the trials in the cases against marked war criminals will start "keeping in line with public sentiment," and that when the trials start "nothing will be able to hamper it."

He continued that the tribunal would maintain international standards and complete transparency, so that it's actions remain unquestionable.

Islam cautioned people to be wary of opposition steps, including those by Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP, to hamper the proceedings, and urged them to unite around the trials.

"A lot of barriers will come, but we will face them," he said, stressing that there was no scope for the government to "back out."

Islam continued by criticising BNP founder late president Ziaur Rahman and said, "Zia worked against the spirit of liberation war after 1975."

He claimed that the former president had run the country in Pakistani style after coming to power, and alleged that "terrorism was born in the country with the killing of Bangabandhu."

Retd Maj Gen Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, parliament member Meher Afroz Chumki, freedom fighters Khalequzzaman, MA Majid and others spoke at the meeting, presided over by the organisation's chairman Foyez Ullah.

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