Gonojagoron Moncho, a pro-liberation platform, has begun its pre-announced “Jagaran Jatra” in a bid to press-home its six-point demand, including the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Some 164 activists of the anti-war criminals platform started their journey for the Rajshahi Division from the capital's Shahbagh by four buses and two microbuses around 9:30am on Friday.
While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Imran H Sarker, spokesperson of a faction of the platform, said: “We have declared the programme in order to press home our six-point demand, including dropping presidential clemency for war criminals and trial of Jamaat.”
“We will observe our programme in two phases. We will hold rallies in Kushtia, Iswardi, Natore, Rajshahi, Putia and Jhenaidah. Our first phase programme will end in Meherpur.”
“In the second phase, we will start our jatra for Tetulia form the capital,” he added.
On October 28, Gonojagoron Moncho has declared the programme at a press conference.
Imran said: “The road march will start from Shabagh on October 30 and will end in Tetulia on November 2.”
Earlier on October 19, the Moncho faction handed a three-point memorandum over to the law ministry.
In the memo, the Moncho faction urged the ministry to take quick steps to allow the state to file a review petition against the appeal verdict of war criminal Delawar Hossain Sayedee, amend the constitution to disqualify the war criminals from seeking Presidential clemency and amending the ICT act to try Jamaat-e-Islami.
After receiving the memo, Law Minister Anisul Haq said the proposal of amending the constitution in a bid to disqualify the war criminals to seek presidential clemency would soon be placed before the policy-makers.
He said: “To me, it is disappointing to allow the convicted war criminals to seek presidential mercy. It will be injustice to the entire trial procedure.”
“The decision on whether the process of appealing for mercy will be stopped either by amending the law or the constitution, will be taken later.”
On October 30, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina however said there was no scope of dropping the provision for presidential clemency for convicted war criminals.
