The completion of the war crimes trial will bring a painful
episode in Bangladesh's history to a close. It will establish
the rule of law, and make young citizens understand how religion
was abused to justify murder and rape.  For Bangladesh, December
2011 is a landmark; the country celebrates its 40th independence
anniversary. It also faces the gigantic challenge of moving
ahead with the historic trial of the local agents of the
Pakistani army who killed, raped and maimed hundreds of
thousands during the liberation war of 1971 — an uphill task in
the face of organised resistance by the main Opposition party.
According to official and non-government accounts, nearly three
million people were killed and thousands of women raped in nine
months of unprecedented violence as the marauding Pakistani
soldiers and their local loyalists tried to suppress the mass
awakening against the religio-political subjugation of the
majority population in the former East Pakistan.  The trial was
long overdue. After a shocking de