Having completed the execution of five killers of Bangabandhu, the government is now making preparations to start the process for the long awaited trial of the war criminals of 1971.

The government is planning to start formal investigation against war criminals early March. The tribunal and other relevant offices for the trial will be completed within this month.

Sources said the government is collect-

ing documents andevidenceofthe offences committed during the nine-month LiberationWar of the republic in 1971.

A few pro-Liberation War organisations including Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and Sector Commanders Forum will provide documents and evidence to the government, which itself has some documents and evidence, sources said.

During the Liberation War, Pakistani occupation forces and their Bangladeshi collaborators killed three million people,

violated a quarter million women, and eliminated the best Bangalee brains on December 14,1971.

Leaders of these collaborating groups--Razakar, Al-BadrandAl-Shams—who are still alive, will be brought to trial in the first phase, according to the sources.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told The Daily Star on January 30 that investigators and prosecutors will be appointed after setting up the tribunal and other offices at the Old High Court building. "Those, who will be found guilty of war crimes in the investigation, will have to face the trial," he said.

"The tribunal will be set up at the Old High Court building, where the chief justice of the Pakistani regime discharged his judicial functions," hesaid.

The existing offices of Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission at the Old High Court building will be shifted to the Judicial Administration Training Institute in front of Curzon Hall of Dhaka University, he added.

All formalities, including the seating arrangement for judges, lawyers, prosecutors, investigators, journalists and observers, and office accommodation of others, would be completed by February, Shafique said, adding that the law ministry, Public Works Department and other ministries and departments have already been engaged for this purpose.

The government has allocated Tk 5 crore for constructing courtrooms and other offices at Old High Court and shifting offices of Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission to Judicial Administration Training Institute, sources said.

On July 9 last year, parliament unanimously passed a bill incorporating a number of new provisions into the International Crimes (TYibu-nal) Act 1973 to try any individual or group of individuals on charge of war crimes in 1971.

Earlier, the House adopted a resolution for holding the trial of war criminals and the government last year allocated Tk 10 crore in the budget for holding the trial.