Leaders of the BNP say it will carry on with the trials of 1971 war criminals even though the party’s manifesto avoided the issue in its manifesto for the general election.
The Jatiya Oikya Front, the opposition alliance BNP launched under the leadership of Dr Kamal Hossain, has pledged to continue the trials if it comes to power when it unveiled its manifesto on Monday (Dec 17).
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rolled out the party’s own manifesto on Tuesday (Dec 18), which was similar in many aspects to the Oikya Front manifesto, but no mention of the war crimes trials.
Asked about the matter during the press conference, Mirza Fakhrul said: “I have said all I have to say. You will find the rest in the details. The full manifesto will be on our website.”
However, its official website, bnpbangladesh.com, could not be accessed until late on Tuesday.
BNP leaders say that the party have never opposed to bringing the 1971 war criminals to justice and the trial will continue, in line with the Oikya Front manifesto, if it comes to power.
“The Jatiya Oikya Front manifesto has addressed the issue. Besides, this does not concern the electoral pledges. A manifesto means something new,” senior leader Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury told Bangla Tribune.
The BNP has said time and again that it supports the trial, the BNP National Standing Committee member told Bangla Tribune.
“It will continue; the Oikya Front and we are together. There several issues in the Oikya Front manifesto, which is not included in the BNP’s one and vice versa. But the BNP and Oikya Front is marching together,” he said.
His colleague in the standing committee, Nazrul Islam Khan echoed.
“Our manifesto does not say that the trials will be stopped, which means it will continue. The manifesto addressed what the BNP will introduce if it wins the election.”
The BNP has always wanted a war crimes trial which meets the international standard, said Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu.
“We have always maintained that as well as that the trials cannot be used as means of political vengeance,” he told Bangla Tribune before adding that the trials will continue no matter what.
The ‘Liberation War and Freedom Fighters’ section of the BNP manifesto says that all freedom fighters will be granted the status of ‘state-honoured citizens’ if the party takes power. The BNP also says it will end the corruption involved in the freedom fighters lists.
The party also said it would increase the freedom fighters grant in line with inflation. Its manifesto also promised to build memorials to honour and recognise freedom fighters across the country.
A proper list of freedom fighters would be formed and they would be granted the proper ranks and state honours, it said.
Leaders of the ruling Awami League, however, has rubbished Oikya Front’s pledges to try war criminals saying the coalition floated candidates of Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
The Awami League had come to power in 2008 with promises to try those who committed war crimes during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
The BNP had opposed it then saying that it was a politically motivated move.
Its standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was executed after he was convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was formed in 2010.
Several other party leaders, including Abdul Alim, have been sentenced to jail on the charges.
Many allies of the BNP, including Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Jamaat leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Abdul Kade Molla, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Mir Quasem Ali, have also been executed for 1971 war crimes.
Jamaat guru Ghulam Azam died while serving a prison term until death. Its senior leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee is serving a similar sentence while several other Jamaat leaders have been given jail terms.
Several of the BNP candidates for the 11th parliamentary election is close to sentenced war criminals.
At least 22 members of the Jamaat are running under the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol.
The BNP has long said that the trials were politically motivated and that they would try the ‘true war criminals’ if they came to power.