Oikya Front promises to continue war crimes trial if elected

The Jatiya Oikya Front has pledged to carry on with the war crimes trial if it gets the mandate to form the next government.

The anti-coalition made the promise in its election manifesto on Monday despite the fact that its key component the BNP and the BNP’s key partner the Jamaat-e-Islami have six of their leaders hanged for war crimes. 

Gono Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain, who heads the Oikya Front, chaired the programme marking the launch of the manifesto. Nagorik Oikya Convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna read it out.

In the 35-point manifesto unveiled at a Dhaka hotel, point 32 is about the Liberation War and freedom fighters.

It includes:

>> The trial of war criminals will continue.

>> Awareness about true spirit of the Liberation War will be raised among the people.

>> A list of war martyrs will be made under army supervision.

>> A correct list of freedom fighters will be made by dropping out fake freedom fighters.

>> Allowances and other facilities for the freedom fighter will be increased.

The war crimes trial was one of the key points in the Awami League’s manifesto before the 2008 election. It won the election by a landslide with huge support of the youth and started the much-awaited war crimes trial by forming the International Crimes Tribunal on Mar 25, 2010.

Five top Jamaat leaders and one of the BNP have so far been hanged following the tribunal’s verdicts.

The Jamaat called shutdowns and carried out large-scale violence after each of the verdicts was delivered.

Refusing calls for ditching the Jamaat, the BNP questioned the process of the war crimes trial.

In one of the verdicts, the tribunal described the BNP appointing Jamaat leaders ministers during their 2001-06 tenure as a “slap on the martyrs’ face”.

Many in the ruling Awami League called the Oikya Front “communal” when Dr Kamal forged the alliance with the BNP in October ahead of the election.

Dr Kamal said at the time that he would not form any alliance with the Jamaat.

But when the Oikya Front nominated candidates with the BNP’s ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol, around two dozen Jamaat leaders, including relatives of convicted war criminals, made it to the list of nominees.

The candidates of the Gono Forum and the other parties in the alliance are also contesting with the same ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol.

Dr Kamal got furious after facing media queries on Jamaat while paying tribute to martyred intellectuals at a memorial in Mirpur last Friday.

“Just keep your mouth shut, shut up!” he retorted, but later apologised for losing his temper.

Facing the same questions on Sunday, while paying respect to the martyrs at the National Memorial in Savar, Dr Kamal spoke of strengthening unity.

“If we create unity, we will have to strengthen it. We have earned our independence through a united force; we need a united force to maintain it,” he said.