DHAKA: Jamaat-e-Islami Sunday asked the government to try the Pakistani Army members for war crimes instead of putting in the dock leaders and workers of the party for their alleged involvement in ‘crime against humanity’ during the 1971 liberation war.

“If you dare, try to catch the Pakistani Army members and try them instead of our leaders and activists,” said acting Secretary-General of Jamaat ATM Azaharul Islam.

He was addressing an opinion-exchange meeting with pro-Jamaat teachers at Al-Falah Auditorium at Magbazar in the city with Dhaka City Jamaat Secretary-General Hamidur Rahman Azad MP in the chair.

Dhaka City unit of the party organized the meeting as part of their weeklong countrywide mass-campaign programme demanding release of the party leaders-activists rounded up under the ongoing crackdown.

“After the war, the then Awami League government released 195 listed war criminals and all of them were Pakistani Army personnel. It is necessary to bring them under the trial," Azaharul said.

He claimed that their party leaders were not involved in the war crimes.

He said, “No one from Jamaat-e-Islami was peace committee Chairman. Rather most of them were Awami League leaders. So try them first.”

Pro-Jamaat teachers from different academic institutions attended the meeting—at a time when the party is put in tight corners, with all its top leaders and many activists thrown behind bars.

BDST: 2014 HRS, JULY 25, 2010.