Bangladesh commanders demand war crime trial

By Anis Ahmed and Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - More than 36 years after Bangladesh won independence through a bloody war that killed 3 million people, commanders and veterans of the conflict gathered in Dhaka on Friday to demand trial of alleged war criminals.

The issue has strong political implications as some alleged suspects are leaders and activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party, part of the government of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia who ended her five-year term in power in October 2006.

Jamaat denies the accusations.

Rallying under the banner of the Bangladesh Liberation War Sector Commanders' Forum, those attending urged the army-backed interim government to at least initiate war crime trials.

The first convention of the recently-formed forum was attended by many who said they witnessed carnage by Pakistan's army and collaborators in the then East Pakistan in 1971.

Tight security was imposed around the forum venue.

Speakers, including past top military officers who fought in the nine-month war, said they felt anguished and disgraced over the long delay in bringing war criminals to justice.

"Our campaign to bring the war criminals to law and put them through trials will continue indefinitely, until the authorities make our dream into reality," said former air chief A.K. Khandaker, Bangladesh Liberation Army deputy chief in 1971.