In the late afternoon of December 4th, I even specified the terms of the constitution by which Ershad had to relinquish power and how the power transfer was to be made. We opened the door and showed the steps through which Ershad would have to hand over his authority. And that was by the people's verdict. Even then the Jatiya Party asked what the revolution was based on, how such a power shift could happen. We showed clearly how it could happen.
We shall protect the values and spirit of the Liberation War:
Honorable Speaker,
I want to tell those who are opposing the public tribunal that during the revolution for democracy we had repeatedly promised, even stipulated in our three party manifesto, that we would protect the spirit and values of the Liberation War. We revolted with the people's consent, with the people's support and in order to realize the dreams of the people. Their consent has led to today's parliament. Questioning the legitimacy of public tribunals would be to disregard the people. However, those who are in power today will have to bear the responsibility for the horrendous ramifications of disregarding the people's judgement if they do so for the sake of bolstering their own power.
Honorable Speaker,
aside from the problem at hand, the nation is in a very fragile state. Law and order is brittle, price levels are rising, people are dying of starvation and diarrhea. The country is plagued with many problems. We are of course keeping these problems in mind. Moreover, I am also cognizant of the mass murder that was perpetrated in Khagrachari and the Chittagong Hill tracts. You have heard the opinions of the Honorable member Kalparanjan Chakma. Much effort has been taken to publish his words in the newspapers. We have many complex issues at hand. To compound these problems, the party that the government is advocating for, has brought the Rajshahi University campus down to its knees with its terrorist activities. Various political workers in Chittagong University and other parts of the nation are being killed and maimed by members of this party, the efforts of which will only be encouraged by government support. Today, my brother Major Hafiz has cleverly said that Jamaat-E-Islami leaders seemed delighted when government barristers were advocating their case. They had to say nothing in their own defense as they were being well represented by the government.
Parliamentary democratic tradition is not being maintained:
Honorable Speaker,
this is not the environment that we wanted. We have passed the eleventh and twelfth amendments in this parliament. Much was said when we talked about parliamentary democracy in the first session of the parliament. Many books were cited to show laws against it. Honorable Speaker, I am sure you remember that these people finally decided to accept the desires of the people inside and outside the parliament. However, I would contend that even though we officially have parliamentary democracy now, the rules and traditions of the system are not being followed. A certain wantonness is being encouraged here. We are still hopeful that these transgressions are due to the long breaks that our political system has had from parliamentary democracy and that the government party and you, Honorable Speaker, shall slowly familiarize yourself with the parliamentary democratic tradition.
Come, let us respect the judgement of the people:
I have said and you have heard, Honorable Speaker,
that we respect the judgement of the people. However, a public does not mean that the people have taken the law in their own hands. And because they did not do so, there exists no right nor opportunity to brand them as criminals. What have they said? They have said that Golam Azam is a war criminal. All his crimes have been listed here (shows the public tribunal charge sheet) and anyone charged with these crimes is punishable by death. We have come to the parliament through a people's revolt, through protest and through the mandate of the people. I think that according to the judgement given by the public tribunal, the crimes are deserving of the death penalty. Today, many among those who are sitting in front of me in this parliament lost their husbands and brothers and had their mothers and sisters violated during the war. There are those who fought endlessly, with an empty stomach and rifle in hand. I request those who gambled their lives for nine months to stop the marauding forces to ignore partisan politics and unite with us in respecting the people's ruling. Debates about who has done how much will come to naught. If you think that the Awami League government had not done enough, then what did you do by removing all laws through Marshal Law proclamations? Why did you help re-establish the Razakars? Why did you push the whole country into debate on this issue after twenty-one years of freedom and liberty? Therefore, HonorableSpeaker, there is still time for us to rise above our differences and unite our efforts much like we did when we instituted the eleventh and twelfth amendments. Those who have lost dear ones and still mourn their loss, let us all accept this judgement. I think the extant Act (International Crime Act, '73) is enough to realize the ruling of the people. Even if you think that the Act is lacking, I am sure that this great parliament can come up with ways to fill the loopholes.
Golam Azam and his accomplices must be tried:
This great parliament has the right. The nation has given it that right. This is a sovereign parliament. Therefore I am calling upon the government, through you, to realize the judgement of the people given on 26th March 1992 by forming a tribunal, according to the International Crime Act '73, to legally address the crimes committed by Pakistani citizen Golam Azam, an anti-liberation figure, a war criminal, a mass murderer, a conspirator for East Pakistan even after the independence of Bangladesh and perpetrator of illegal methods of assuming power in this country. I am proposing that the relevant ministry take immediate steps to indict Golam Azam and his accomplices. At the same time, I am expressing my regret over the insulting legal charges that have been brought against the conductors of the Public Tribunal and requesting, through you, that those charges be immediately dropped.