Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday expressed gratitude to the people for the maiden verdict of the war crimes trial, saying that through the judgment, a new journey for the people of the country has begun.

"Before the last general elections, we had given words to the people to hold the trial of the 1971 culprits who unleashed massacre, violated our mothers and sisters and torched millions of houses across the country during the War of Liberation.  Through today's maiden verdict of the war crimes trial, we have kept our words and promise," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while presiding over the maiden meeting of the newly-elected Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) at her official Ganobhaban residence here in the evening.

Sheikh Hasina, also the AL chief, said through this verdict a long wait of the people has ended. "Besides, the country was freed from the 41-year-long stigma, she said, adding: "Earlier we freed the country from another stigma by executing the verdict of the Bangabandhu murder case."

The Prime Minister said it has been possible due to the huge mandate the people had given to the Mohajote government in the last general elections. "For this I extend my heartiest congratulation to the people," she said.

She said: "We seek cooperation and blessings of the countrymen so that we could curse the stigma for ever by completing the trial of all war criminals."

Sheikh Hasina said the trial of the 1971 culprits would continue. "Whenever the war criminals would be found their trial would continue on this soil and none could stop it," she said.

The Prime Minister said "The country's socio-economic development won't be possible if we could not awaken the people with spirit of the War of Liberation."

She said the country witnessed the power of the anti- liberation forces for 21 years after the assassination of Bangabandhu. "They foiled the whole spirit of the Liberation War by rehabilitating the war criminals in politics," she said,.

She urged the people to remain alert so that the black chapter and curse do not return to the country again. "Through completing the trial of the war criminals the nation would get back its lost glory," she hoped.

Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had initiated the trial of war criminals by promulgating an ordinance in 1972. And its continuation, 11,000 identified razakars were detained at that time, she said.

But after the assassination of Bangabandhu, General Ziaur Rahman stopped the trial and released the war criminals through marshal law ordinance. "Zia not only halted the trial of the 1971 culprits, he also rehabilitated them politically by making them ministers, MPs and returning their citizenship," she said.

Sheikh Hasina expressed her firm belief that Bangladesh would be placed as a dignified nation on the world stage by 2021 through massive socioeconomic uplift.

Deputy Leader of the House and AL Presidium Member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Obaidul Quader, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Mohammad Nasim, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin and Staish Chandra Roy, AL Joint Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Dr Dipu Moni, Organizing Secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Bir Bahadur, BM Mozammel and Misbahuddin Siraj and Information and Research Secretary Advocate Afzal Hussain were present on the occasion.

Earlier, ALCWC Member and former chief whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah thanked the Prime Minister on behalf of the committee for maiden verdict of the war crimes trial.

Ends/AMA/21/01/13