The Home Minister of Bangladesh, Sahara Khatun argued that there is no legal statute of limitations or moral force that prevents arresting those individuals considered war criminals.
At a ceremony held at a college, Sahara Khatun claimed “They must be arrested… there is no need to issue new directives from the home ministry in this regard.”
Meanwhile the Law Minister has gone on record to say that save Pakistan all other countries are on board to investigate and prosecute the war crimes trial against genocide and arson during the 1971 Liberation War. This is important, by decree the government will enlist the aid of other governments in seeking information germane to the proceedings. Pakistan, for obvious reason, is against the trial.
The move to begin the process of conducting war crimes trials is playing out in interesting ways domestically. The BNP leadership has already laid claim to problems to transparency and neutrality in the conduct of the trial; the Jamaat-e-Islami has gone as far as to enquire whether it is possible to hire lawyers from abroad. Though the BNP and Jamaat might have reason to doubt the neutrality of the proceedings, I doubt whether majority of Bangladeshis want to seek justice done as such. This is victor’s justice, long overdue.
