Dhaka, Dec 29 (bdnews24.com) – The 'mass rally' of the ruling Awami League-led coalition to press for faster war crimes trial and foil the opposition's 'conspiracy' those facing the charges has started at Suhrawardy Udyan.
The rally began at 3:30pm on Thursday on the Suhrawardy Udyan's Shikha Chiranton premises – the place where the Pakistani occupation forces had finally surrendered to the joint forces of Bangladeshi freedom fighters and Indian army on Dec 16, 1971.
Further programmes of the 14-party Grand Alliance on the issue of war crimes trial are scheduled to be announced from the rally.
The 14-party alliance leaders and workers from across the capital city marched down the streets in processions to the venue.
AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury at the beginning of the rally said, "We had brought independence shouting the 'Joy Bangla' slogan and will also hold the trial of the 'Rajakars' (local collaborators of then Pakistani army) chanting the same slogan."
"The Rajakars are still conspiring and also committing many murders. Their activities will be no more be tolerated. We have congregated here to speed up the trial (of the war criminals)," she added.
At the outset of the rally, a one-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the memory of veteran Awami League leader and Liberation War hero Abdur Razzak.
Of the AL leaders present on stage are Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Satish Chandra Roy, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, A F M Bahauddin Nasim, Ahmed Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Abu Sayed Al Mahmud Swapan, B M Mozammel Haque, Mezbahuddin Siraj, Abdul Aziz, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Qamrul Islam and A B M Tazul Islam.
From the allies, Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal (M-L) general secretary Dilip Barua, Jatiya Party presidium member Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD) general secretary Sharif Nurul Ambia and National Awami Party (NAP) general secretary Enamul Haque attended the rally.
The MPs from all Dhaka constituencies were also present.
The decision to hold the 'mass procession and rally' was taken at several meetings of the alliance with AL president Sheikh Hasina last week.
Apart from the 14-party alliance, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) also observed simultaneous programme in the city on the same demand.
A crusader against war criminals and fundamentalists, noted writer Jahanara Imam staged a mock trial of war criminals by constituting a "Gano Adalat' (Public Court) at Suhrawardy Udyan on March 26, 1992.
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