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Outspoken BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury MP Saturday challenged that the present government has no authority to hold trial of the war criminals, but it does have the power to do so, reports UNB.
"I will challenge that this government has no authority to try the war criminals," he emphatically said and also sardonically called into question its source of power.
He told his audience at a BBC Bangladesh Sanglap programme at Bangaban-dhu International Con-ference Centre that the present government got in to power with the blessings of almighty Allah and help from Gen Moeen U Ahmed, the immediate-past army chief, who is seen as the main behind the 1/11 political changeover and subsequent political purge amid a crisis over election issues following the BNP-led alliance rule.
"With the blessings of Allah (Rahmat) and the benediction from Moeen U Ahmed (Barkat) you are in power," he said to dissent from the ruling Awami League''s Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir MP.
AL presidium-member Alamgir, Bangladesh Kalyan Party chairman Maj Gen (Rtd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim and Barrister Tania Ameer took part in discussion at the dialogue arranged by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
In his skepticism about the last polls, SQ Chowdhury further said that in the history of Bangladesh and the Indian subcontinent no elections in the last 100 years had witnessed 87 percent voter turnout. "But the last election in the country got 87 percent voters'' participation."
He questioned the actual number of voters that cast their votes in the December 29 general election, which brought the AL-led grand alliance to power with over two-thirds majority and reduced the previously ruling party, BNP, to a dwarf opposition.
MK Alamgir crossed swords with SQ Chy on both the counts, saying that the present government has the power and the authority as well to put the war criminals on trial. "The constitution of the country gave us that authority," he said.
But the AL presidium member said that they are very much cautious regarding the trial of the war criminals. "We are very much cordial to bring the original war criminals in the trial process and make the trial process as international-standard one."
SQ Chowdhury retorted: this issue is not just a child''s play--this is a very serious issue.
"I don''t know why this issue was raised suddenly after 35 years," he said on a note of surprise, while government preparation for staging the trial is on.
MK Alamgir replied: the issue of war criminals never stopped in the course of time. "The war criminals of the Second World War are going under the judicial system," he said.
Responding to a question from the audience, the AL leader said that the government has the ability to bring the war criminals to trial and the process has started already. "You will see the results in December," he added.
Responding to a question, the discussants of the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap opined for running the mutiny-ridden BDR with their own cadres to avert such an internecine conflict as is believed to have erupted into the Feb 25-26 bloodletting in which the army officers in the border force''s command were massacred.
"If you want to separate BDR from the army leadership, then you have to make leadership from the BDR. And this is a long process. If the government wants to do so after 10 years, then this process has to start right now," General Ibrahim said.
SQ Chowdhury totally and clearly corroborated this view as he opinioned against the deputation of army officers to the BDR.
He bitterly criticized the role of army in the last two years, when many top politicians, including SQ Chy himself, were thrown behind bars. He said that the army has many major things to do in the country.
"Army has taught politics to the politicians in the last two years. They had been engaged in business, trade, extortion, land and flat buying. At the time when the price of rice went up sharply, army people asked us to eat potato. They had many things to do. I think there is no justification of deploying army officials in the BDR," he said.
About the publishing of the BDR inquiry report, SQ Chowdhury deplored that the reports did not see the daylight and the main culprits were not unmasked as he said "the politicians of the country do not have political honesty".
MK Alamgir said that the deputation of the army officials to the BDR is a temporary solution. This force has to create their own cadre service and the government is heading to that end.
"This force has to be built as a mixed force adopting officers from the army," he said.
About the price hike, the bureaucrat-turned-politician admitted that there are weaknesses in government institutions and the government "failed to provide security in all levels".
SQ Chowdhury observed that extortion is present now and this was during the BNP regime also.
The Kalyan Party chairman, Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, blamed lack of farsightedness of the politicians for the price hike of essential commodities during special times like Ramadan.

source : http://www.newstoday-bd.com