Bangladesh's government says it will investigate and prosecute alleged war crimes committed during the 1971 fight for independence from Pakistan.
Several of the country's ministers said Thursday the government has begun setting up a prosecution team to try those who committed rape and murder while collaborating with Pakistani forces during the civil war.
The United Nations has agreed to help Bangladesh set up the war crimes trials to ensure they conform with international standards.
The human rights group Amnesty International Thursday welcomed U.N. support of the investigation. In a statement, the group said the failure to seek truth and justice for crimes against humanity has encouraged what it called the "persistent nature of impunity" in Bangladesh.