M Hamid speaks to DOT :
BNP in its manifesto promised that it would carry out the trials of war criminals, but how will it carry out the trials when it has already given out 22 seats to war criminals? If it is actually pledging these trials then the party will be experiencing some sort of internal pressure not to.
All political parties announce manifestos. Is it possible to predict what a party will really do based on its composition? I think it’s too early to predict. Nevertheless, I still have doubts over the ‘War criminals trials’ part.
In its manifesto, it also pledged to ‘amend’ the Digital Security Act and to limit prime minister terms to two years. Again, it’s too early to comment on these. The manifesto also states that BNP intends to hold trials of those responsible for the BDR mutiny as well as the bank scandals. As far as I know, the BDR trials are already taking place; many have already been sentenced. And speaking of banks, those responsible have already been booked. Such decisions cannot be just accomplished in a whim – these things take time.
Their own party has many a loan defaulter, who is unable to participate in the elections due to their outstanding defaults. How can they carry out trials when their own party is in such a state? And last, but certainly not least, they have yet to make any promises regarding the youth.
M Hamid is a Liberation War and Cultural personality
Interview by Fahim Bijoy
Translation by Abrar Hussain
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