After the Skype scandal, resignation of a chairman followed, left parties — CPB and BASOD — observed anti-Jamaat hartal with govt and people’s support, the cunsels of the accused appealed for retrial, several BNP leaders demanding that the tribunal be abolished…

Meanwhile, the apparently unsmart and inefficient govt recently also clarified its position on the trial and expressed its firm resolve to complete it ensuring transparency and impartiality.

Still, the manpower involved with the tribunal activities and cases — filed by the govt — have always been small and in some cases, proved to be incapable to carry out the routine works properly whereas the counters needed to be made against the anti-Bangladesh and anti-tribubal groups — funded by Jamaat — are done in a very sluggish way.

Well! The info minister in his media brief on Dec 26 also assured that the razakars hiding under the umbrella of his party Jasod and the ruling Awami League would also be tried in phases. The trial won’t stop, he asserted too.

So far, this is for the first time since March 25, 2010 someone in the govt has responded to the opposotion’s claims that the relatives of the PM and top leaders of the AL were razakars in 1971.

Even though the Jamaat-BNP, their allies, funded media and individuals have been claiming that the govt actually wanted to ban or destroy Jamaat through the trial where seven top leaders of the anti-Bangladeshi party are being tried with two BNP leaders.

But history says that these culprits were the masterminds of genocide, rape, arson and looting during the war as the Pakistan occupation force’s aide. And they did it “publicly”!

And they have never apologised to the nation since the fundamentalist party relaunched its activities after the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and cancellation of the Collaborators Act under which around 10,000 razakars were being tried for the four serious crimes against humanity.

A latest good news is: the govt has approved an 81-men organogram for the tribunal with provision for appointing a senior law research officer and support officers for the judges’ convenience — though after much delay.

Well, better late than never! Will be expecting to see a foetified war crimes trial working without fear.

UPDATE JAN 30: M K Rahman has been appointed as the prosecution coordinator.