PM determined on war crimes trials

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday renewed her determination to finish the war crimes trials regardless of all the hurdles.

“We were hit again and again. But we stood up enduring everything. We liberated the country through battle. And I believe that we still can tackle any kind of challenge,” Hasina said.


The Prime Minister was speaking at a programme arranged in Dhaka’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium where she handed over the highest civilian award, Independence Award.

Eight prominent personalities were honoured with the award on Monday.

Hasina told the audience, “Democracy must be uninterrupted. The stream of progress must move forward so that we can hold our heads high in the international arena by 2021.”

Bangladesh will complete the fifty years of her independent existence in 2021.

Hasina 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.”

“The country must be free from this disgrace. We will do that by trying the war criminals.”

Addressing those who want to hinder the trial process, she said, “This is our promise to the nation. We must keep this promise.”

The Chief Justice, Cabinet members, chiefs of the three forces, Members of Parliament and high-level government officials had attended the awards ceremony at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

Addressing them, Hasina continued, “[But our] bad luck… you all know that some [political] parties are trying to obstruct the trials of the war criminals and carrying out various activities to create disorder.”

“I urge the people to be aware of them,” she said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister also remembered late President Md Zillur Rahman at the beginning of her speech.

She also showed gratitude towards the neighbouring and friendly countries including India who had assisted Bangladesh in many ways during the 1971 Liberation War.

“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.