Trial of collaborators to be held someday

This hope was expressed by the speakers at a memorial lecture on Jahanara Imam to mark her 12th death anniversary in the city yesterday.

On this day in 1994, she died at a hospital in the USA after prolonged sufferings from cancer.

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The speakers said Jahanara Imam will remain alive forever in the hearts of Bangalees for her contribution to the cause of the Liberation War.

Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (committee to eliminate killers and collaborators of 1971) organised the programme.

Justice KM Sobhan delivered the memorial lecture titled ''Trial of war criminals and the Constitution of Bangladesh' with National Professor Kabir Chowdhury in the chair.

In a written speech, Justice Sobhan said through an amendment to the constitution Bangabandhu government tried to hold trial of the collaborators.

But an order of the military regime in the following period stopped the trial and those who were punished earlier by the special tribunal, were released, he said.

However, with a mission to punish the collaborators Jahanara Imam later organised a mass-court for trial of Golam Azam as a leader of all collaborators with the spontaneous presence of thousands of people at Suhrawardy Udyan, Justice Sobhan added.

Nirmul Committee acting president Prof Muntasir Mamun, General Secretary Kazi Mukul, Vice-president Prof Anwara Syeda Haque, committee central leader Rabiul Hussain and Artist Hashem Khan also spoke on the occasion.

At the programme, Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid and Somoy Prokashon were awarded Jahanara Imam Memorial Award 2006.

Earlier in the morning, leaders of the Nirmul Committee placed wreaths at her grave at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.

Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) and left-leaning student organisations including Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Progotisheel Chhatra Jote also placed wreaths at her grave.