Dhaka, Oct 22— BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the party's agitation is not aimed at hampering war crimes trial but to 'save the country'.
Addressing a press conference at party's Naya Paltan headquarters in the city on Saturday, he said, "The government's claim that the opposition movement is to save war criminals is just a plea to divert people away from the struggle to protect country's democracy, independence and sovereignty."
"We want to make it clear that we are also for war crimes trial. Our position is in favour of the trial. But the trial process should be transparent and of international standard," he added.
The BNP leader made the remarks when asked whether or not the arrested Jamaat-e-Islami leaders including Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed are war criminals.
When pressed for giving a 'yes' or 'no' answer, Fakhrul said he cannot say 'yes' or 'no' directly as he is into politics.
Khaleda at a street rally in Bogra during the party's road march towards Chapainawabganj termed the war crimes trial a 'farcical trial' and demanded immediate halt to it.
She also demanded release of Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami, its secretary general Mojaheed, executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee, assistant secretaries general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Quader Molla, and senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury who are facing the charges.
Explaining Khaleda's remarks, Fakhrul said, "You've to realise madam's whole statement. Was the process to detain Mr Nizami and others proper? They were arrested on other charges. The Jamaat-e-Islami leaders must be tried only if there are specific allegations of crimes against humanity, murder, genocide, rape, arson and looting against them."
The government on Mar 25 last year formed the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) and its investigation arm, and appointed 12 prosecutors initiating the process for the trial of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 1971.
The BNP leader also questioned the past of those who have so far been appointed to the investigation and prosecution panels of the trial tribunal.
"The main focus of the trial will be lost if it is politically motivated," he said and added the tribunal is not impartial. The state minister for law was determining the timing of the detention of former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam, he pointed out.
State minister for law Qamrul Islam at a discussion at the National Press Club on Friday said that Ghulam Azam would be taken into custody within one month. "The war crimes trial will be completed within the shortest span of time, in the regime of the present government. Those who are outside will also be grilled soon."
On the current anti-government movement, Fakhrul said millions of people have expressed 'no confidence' in the government by spontaneously participating in the Oct 10-11 Dhaka-Sylhet and Oct 18-19 Dhaka-Rajshahi road march. Khaleda will address a public rally at the Mymensingh Circuit House premises on Oct 27, he said.
"After the planned road march to Chittagong, Rangpur and Khulna, we'll force the government to step down for holding free and fair elections under a non-party caretaker administration and establish people's government."
He hoped that good sense would prevail upon the government and it would quit facilitating elections under the caretaker government.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, joint secretaries general Aman Ullah Aman and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were present at the press conference.
News from:www.bdnews24.com
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