‘Re-elect us for war crimes trials to continue’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed her grassroots leaders to seek the people’s mandate to continue with the trials of suspected war criminals who had tried to thwart Bangladesh’s struggle for freedom in 1971.

She made the appeal at an interactive programme with the ruling Awami League’s leaders on ground from six districts at her official residence Ganabhaban on Sunday.

The meeting was held to finalise candidates for the forthcoming national election due to be held between Oct 24 this year and Jan 24 next.

“We have finished trying killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said at the meeting.

“Trials of [suspected] criminals have started. You (grassroots leaders) urge the people to elect us again to continue the trials,” said the two-time Prime Minister.

Presidents and general secretaries of Jessore, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Laxmipur, Kurigram and Naogaon districts, Upazilas, Thanas and first-class municipal committees attended the meeting in the second phase.

The Hasina-led Cabinet initiated the trials in 2010. Six men, including five top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been convicted for war crimes. Several others are in the dock on a raft of charges.

The Awami League has accused the opposition BNP and its key ally, Jamaat, of trying to hinder the process.

Hasina directed her party activists to uphold the importance of electing the Awami League for taking forward national development.

“You (grassroots leaders) will have to seek vote from the people. We will make Bangladesh a developed country if we are elected again,” she said.

She promised to complete the ongoing development projects if voted to office for a second consecutive term.

The Awami League President asked them to recommend three candidates for their constituencies and mark them on a scale of 100.

Each participant was given a form with 10 questions, which were submitted before the meeting ended.

Hasina said her party would nominate candidates for the next polls based on the opinions of the leaders on the ground.

The party chief lauded her supporters for holding ground during the previous army-backed caretaker government. “Bangladesh would not have seen any elections had you not stood up then.”

She said the Awami League’s grassroots always took the ‘right decision’ during a crisis while the party’s top brass failed.

Hasina claimed the opposition was trying to ‘confuse’ the people with its ‘propaganda’. The opposition had withdrawn its adjournment motion on the caretaker government issue in Parliament, she said.

“They (the opposition) had put forth an adjournment proposal but withdrew it when we decided to discuss it at the Business Advisory Committee meeting.”

The Prime Minister alleged the BNP wanted keep Bangladesh in turmoil.

Shrugging off the opposition’s claim that the 15th constitutional amendment to scrap the caretaker provision was done in a haste, Hasina said a committee to amend the Constitution was formed on Jul 22, 2010 and the Amendment Bill was passed on Jun 30, 2011.

“No other bill in history took so long to be passed. They (the opposition) are misleading the people,” she said.

She said there were no scopes to doubt the impartiality of the forthcoming national polls since nearly 5,500 polls had been organised in a fair manner under her government.

“The Awami League-endorsed candidates had lost in many polls including the previously concluded five city corporations.

“People in the five city corporations did not elect our candidates despite much development. What can we do if the people do not choose honest men?” she wondered.

Hasina said a vested quarter was spreading canard over the number of deaths in the May 6 crackdown on Hifazat-e Islam activists at Dhaka’s Motijheel.

“At first they said 2,500 people had been killed and then revised the number to 61.

“An NGO had prepared a list of 61 persons killed which is fabricated. Many of the so-called dead are roaming alive,” she said without naming anyone.

Rights-group Odhikar had claimed to have a list of people killed during raid.

The body’s Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan was recently detained for distorting facts, presenting false evidence against the security forces during the May 5 drive, doctoring pictures used in reports with the help of Photoshop, and passing off someone alive and kicking as dead.

He has been charged in court and the newly-formed Cyber Crimes Tribunal is trying him.