BNP alleges mockery of war crimes trial

BNP Standing Committee Member MK Anwar once again alleged on Sunday that the ongoing war crimes trial was not following a fair process.

The statement from a top BNP leader came a day before the International Crimes Tribunal was to spell out its first-ever verdict against Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar.

Anwar was addressing a rally to mark the birth anniversary of the party’s founder Ziaur Rahman. Top BNP leaders were present in the rally.

“The Awami League-led government is not carrying out a proper trial on charges of war crime. They are making a mockery in the name of trial,” said Anwar.

“We have always been saying that BNP wants the trial of war criminals. But the trial has to be transparent.”

Two BNP leaders Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim are also standing the trial for their alleged involvement in the crime against humanity during the Independence War of 1971.

BNP has been vague to demand a standard trial as it never specified the points in the process of the trial it differs with.

The government has always been maintaining that the trial was being held following international standards.

“The then Awami League had released 195 Pakistani soldiers arrested after the Independence War. The incumbent government has to explain why they had been released.”

Anwar alleged that there are also war criminals in the Awami League.

“As many as 43 candidates who contested the general elections in 1970 with Awami League tickets were against the war.”

“Publish a list of them. We will be convinced then that you really want to try war criminals.”

Another member of the BNP Standing Committee Tariqul Islam called for unity to fight against the government's move to hold the next general elections under a partisan government.

Another Standing Committee Member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said Awami League is afraid of conceding defeat in the coming elections, and that’s why plotting a poll-time partisan government.

They protested against the arrest of BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and demanded his release.