Addressing a sit-in programme in front of the National Press Club at noon, he said: “It’s the incumbent government which formulated the law to try the war criminals. They formed the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) and appointed prosecution lawyers.”
“We question why the legal loopholes were not sorted out -- the government has to explain this to the people."
He alleged, "They (government) had done this in a bid to divert the trial of the war criminals to another direction.”
After the International Crimes Tribunal-2 in its second verdict on Feb 5 sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla to life in prison for his involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, it was revealed that the prosecution and the defence didn't have equal rights to appeal against acquittal or conviction of anyone by the tribunal.
A bill will be placed in Parliament on Sunday for amending the ICT law with a provision to allow appeal against the life sentence awarded to Molla and any "lighter sentence" to other war criminals, following demand from the protesters at Shahbag.
BNP Standing Committee Member Rafiqul Islam Mia speaks at a programme organised by Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sangskritik Dal in front of the National Press Club on Thursday. Photo: asaduzzaman pramanik/ bdnews24.com/ Dhaka, Dec 06, 2012
Rafiqul Islam Mia said: “We also want the war crimes trial, but it has to be transparent.”
Alleging that the government was trying to divert the Shahbagh movement "for their own interest" , he said: “We think that the Shahbagh movement is for the people of this country who are deprived of their rights. The protesters should remain alert so that no one can divert the movement to another direction.”
Addressing another programme in front of the National Press Club, opposition Chief Whip in Parliament Zainul Abdin Farroque blamed the government’s ‘failure’ for the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider, who had actively participated in the mass movement at Shahbagh intersection from the beginning.
“The assailants have killed Rajib who was an activist of the Shahbagh movement. We see him as our child. Killings are taking place frequently across the country. The murderers of Biswajit Das are yet to be arrested. The trial of journalist couple Sagar-Runi is yet to be held. We don't know the whereabouts of (BNP leader) Ilias Ali."
“We would like to tell the government: “Please don’t snatch the children from their mothers to remain in power. The people no more want any killing in the country.”
Blogger Rajib was hacked to death near his Mirpur residence in the city on Friday night. His relatives and the Shahbagh protesters have been blaming the Jamaat-Shibir for the killing.
“The government has targeted Jamaat to split the (BNP-led) 18-Party Alliance. But this will not work. No one can split the 18-Party Alliance,” the BNP leader said.
He further said: “The Jamaat is called war criminal when the party joins us (BNP), but the party isn’t call war criminal when it joins the Awami League. When the Awami League in association with the Jamaat waged movement (against the BNP government) in 1996 and took part in (autocratic ruler) HM Ershad’s one-party election (in 1997), they (Jamaat) weren’t called war criminals.”