A group of Bangladeshi
expatriates demonstrate in Washington on March 24, 2013 to protest against Bangladesh 's war criminals and
the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.
From Ataur Rahman
It said Bangladeshi expatriates staged rallies in
around 40 cities across the world simultaneously demanding death penalty to war
criminals. The rallies were held expressing solidarity with the Shahbagh
movement that began on February 5 demanding capital punishment to war
criminals.
The report said such rallies were held in nearly
two dozen cities in the United States , the country that sided with Pakistan in opposing Bangladesh 's independence.
Apart from USA , such rallies were organised
in Canada , in Europe , in Australia , in Asia and in Cape Town of South
Africa. Organized by expatriate Bangladeshi students, Bangladeshi
expatriates from different walks of life took part in the rallies.
The organizers said they were working to create awareness in
favour of war crimes trials.
Two International Crime Tribunal are trying 11 war criminals
and so far announced verdict of three accused persons.
Meanwhile the peaceful mass movement that began on February
5 at Shahbagh in the city by youths demanding capital punishment to
all war criminals entered 49th day today .The movement resumed its
activities at Shahbagh in the afternoon after some days of holding rallies
away from here in different parts of the city and also outside the capital.
The organizers of the movement had on February 21
announced a six point charter of demand that included taking legal steps
by the government for banning politics of Jamaat and Shibir by March 26.
But so far there is no concrete action from the government in
this regard even though ruling party leaders favor such
ban. Organizers of Shahbagh Ganojagaron Mancha are focusing on
building up new networks and strengthen old ones and spread the movement upto
grassroots to realize their demand.
Earlier in the morning Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina renewed her determination to finish the war crimes trials
regardless of all the hurdles.“The country must be free from this disgrace. We
will do that by trying the war criminals,” she told a function to honour people
for their contributions in different field. Expressing her
belief in tackling all kinds of challenge in this
field she spoke of her confidence in finishing the trials of the
suspected war criminals to ‘free the nation from the taint’. “Many attempts are
being carried out to obstruct these trials,” Hasina said referring to various
agitational program being enforced by BNP and Jamaat.
She also showed gratitude towards the neighbouring and
friendly countries including India who had assisted Bangladesh in many ways during the 1971
Liberation War. It was India which gave shelter to nearly one crore
Bangladeshis who fled to save from the atr5ocities of the occupation army and
their collaborators- the Razakars.
“Today is March 25. The Pakistani occupation forces had attacked the innocent,
unarmed Bengalis on the dark night of March 25 in 1971. They killed people
indiscriminately. And then Bangabandhu [Sheikh Mujibur Rahman] declared
independence in the wee hours of March 26. We achieved independence on December
16 after fighting for nine months,” she added.
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