Staff Correspondent
The new government should start the process of setting up a war crimes tribunal in the very first session of the national parliament and seek help from the United Nations, said War Crimes Facts Findings Committee Bangladesh.
Addressing a press conference yesterday at it office, the committee presented terms of reference for trial of the war criminals of 1971 and demanded to update laws for the tribunal.
The Committee said the tribunal should be formed under section 3 of article 47 of the Constitution and the International Crimes Tribunal Act-1973, and it should be supported by the United Nations for international acceptance. But the support is not mandatory for holding trial of war criminals, it said.
If the government does not start the process at early stage then there would not be much progress in this regard, they said.
The Facts Finding Committee said ordinance No. 63 of 1975 and Second Proclamation Order No. 3 of 1975 promulgated by late president Ziaur Rahman on December 31, 1975 would have to be repealed to make the ground for smooth holding of trial.
The committee also demanded formation of a Historical Clarification Commission comprising national and international experts. The role of the commission would be to explain the sequences of genocides and war crimes by Pakistani Army and local collaborators against the people of Bangladesh. Such a commission was formed in Guatemala in 1997.
The facts findings committee said the trial would have to be against three kinds of war criminals– Pakistani Army, their auxiliary forces like Rajakar, Al Badar and Al Shams and also other local collaborators who were not registered as Rajakars.
“The crime was committed against the people of Bangladesh. So the terms and reference would have to be set by the people of Bangladesh not by others,” said committee convenor Dr MA Hasan while reading out a written statement.
Major General (retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury of Sector Commanders Forum and Akku Chowdhury of Liberation War Museum were also present.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
