War criminals will be resisted from participating in the polls at any cost

Leaders of political parties and Sector Commander Forum (SCF) on Wednesday demanded of the government to ensure the trial of war criminals immediately otherwise they will launch movement."Under the banner of SCF are calling upon the government to hold trail of the war criminals as early as possible. Otherwise as part of greater movement, we will start holding wayside rally, street demonstration and mass contacting at village level," they said at a round table discussion held at the National Press Club yesterday.SCF Convener Air Vice Marshal AK Khandoker (retd), Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Communist Party of Bangladesh President Manjurul Ahsan, Former law maker Asaduzzan Nur, freedom fighters and university teachers took part in the discussion.Rashed Khan Menon said the government is unwilling to bring war criminal to book."In the name of loopholes of law, the government is not able to hold the trial of war criminals. On the other hand, the government imposed ban on the participation of teachers in the local body elections amending the law.AK Khandoker vowed that they would resist the candidature of the identified war criminals in the upcoming local government polls at any cost. "We are also making a documentary on war criminals and Independence war in 1971 for submitting to the United Nation," he warned.CPB President, said under the banner of SCF, like the liberation war against the Pakistani occupation force and their collaborators, we will again fight against the war criminals in bid to free the nation from 'rajakar'.Dhaka University teacher AAMS Arefin Siddiqui said it is the constitutional obligation of any government to ensure trial of the war criminals. "We should boycott the war criminals socially. As part of our programme, we will have to organise a social movement," Arefin added.