Dhaka, Feb 13 (ANI): Analyst Mesbah Kamal on Friday (February 13) expressed concerns about the pace of trial of 1971 war criminals, especially in the present scenario when the country is reeling under political unrest. Kamal opined that the President's power of clemency should not be applicable in cases of war criminals. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set up the tribunal in 2010 to investigate abuses during the 1971 conflict, but critics say she is using it as a political weapon against the two biggest opposition parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. The tribunal has been criticized by rights groups for failing to adhere to international standards. Human Rights Watch said lawyers, witnesses and investigators reported they had been threatened. The government dismissed that criticism. More than 200 people have been killed in violent protests against the tribunal and its decisions, most of them Islamist party activists and members of the security forces.
