It's 'disturbing'

The government yesterday dismissed the United Nations' claim of the war crimes trial in Bangladesh being unfair, saying its recent statement was highly disturbing.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday called on Bangladesh to stop implementing death sentences awarded by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) because of what it said was the fairness of the trials conducted by the court had been questioned.

While the international community has acknowledged the trial of atrocities committed more than four decades ago as an effort to end the culture of impunity in the country, some quarters are making sweeping, biased and unfounded comments, said the foreign affairs ministry in a press release.

The UN's statement had come in response to the execution of war criminals Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed. 

The ministry said the two had been handed down death penalty after the charges brought against them were proven beyond doubt.

"Chowdhury and Mojaheed's cases have nothing to do with their political identity or affiliation." 

The fact that Salauddin belonged to the opposition party, BNP, and Mojaheed to its ally Jamaat-e-Islami is nothing but a coincidence, reads the press release.

It also points out that some accused, who are involved with the politics of the ruling party and its electoral allies, are being tried at the ICT. 

The trial of war criminals has opened up an opportunity to end the culture of impunity, ensuring justice to the victims and paving the way for truth and reconciliation that was duly recognised by the European Parliament in its resolution of January 16 last year, the foreign ministry said.

The European Parliament earlier also acknowledged the need for reconciliation, justice and accountability for the crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence and stressed the important role of the ICT.

The government reiterated that being a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Bangladesh is obliged to maintain international standards in the judicial process.

The position taken by the UN raises a question -- whether it is siding with the perpetrators of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, it said. 

"It is also a question if the OHCHR is choosing to undermine the cry for justice of the families of innumerable victims."

The government and the people of Bangladesh are confident that plausible legal arguments can be provided to discredit all the allegations against the trials, the foreign ministry said.

The fact that due process and standards were maintained throughout the trial would ultimately prevail, it added.