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The Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF) is nearly through with preparations to hold the twice-postponed convention on March 21, chief coordinator of the forum of the 1971 independence war veterans said Tuesday.

"Preparations have already been made for the convention. The government will take steps to ensure that the convention is held peacefully," former army chief M Harun-Ar-Rashid told a news conference at the forum's Banani office.

Rashid said the forum agreed with the government to make no provocative remarks or campaign using loudspeakers and posters.

The planned convention is the part of a series of programmes aimed at creating awareness about the trial of the war criminals.

The convention was supposed to be held on March 15 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre but was rescheduled after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police cancelled the programme fearing chaos.

About 1,500 divisional representatives and 800 guests of different professions are expected to join the congregation. "The demand for the trial of war criminals has become a national demand.

The state has to arrange the trial of the war criminals," Rashid, a former sector commander, said. On what would be done if there had been any unexpected obstacle to holding the convention, he said: "We would speak to the nation at the place where we would be stopped."

"The present government has done many things that have no direct link with the elections. It is not that it will not deal with such an important task like trying war criminals.

We want the trial process to begin either through formation of a commission or through appeal to the United Nations." The former army chief said they had asked foreign embassies not to provide the war criminals with any help, giving visa, in particular.

He thanked many embassies that had accepted the plea. He said the convention was supposed to be held on Dec 13 but could not be arranged as the government gave permission only a day before the convention date.

The forum then appealed to the government on Jan 14 for permission to hold the convention on March 15. But the appeal was turned down on security reasons and the letter of refusal from the home ministry reached the forum on March 15.

On March 16, the forum applied to the home secretary for necessary help to hold the convention on March 21, saying it would comply with the government conditions.

Rashid said the government's refusal to give the go-ahead to the March 15 convention had hurt freedom fighters and cheered war criminals. "We were not allowed to hold an indoor conference.

But nothing happened to the party staging demonstrations carrying sticks. Law should be equally applicable to all," he said. The forum called for a 'blackout campaign' at midnight across the country to recall the brutal attack of the Pakistani occupation forces on innocent Bengalis on March 25.

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