Awami League (AL) led 14-party alliance will organise human chain on January 24 across the country to press their demand for expediting the trial of war criminals and protesting anarchy of BNP-Jama’at alliance, reports UNB.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the ruling coalition on Monday held at AL president Sheikh Hasina's office at Dhanmondi in the city. Awami League presidium member and coordinator of the alliance Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury presided over the meeting.

Earlier, at a mass precession on December 22 last year the coalition announced a human chain programme for January 7, 2013 but it was postponed later.

The meeting also decided to organise district tours across the country from January 12-23 to make the human chain a success.

AL advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu briefed reporters after the meeting.

In the briefing Amu said, "The trial of war criminals is the demand of the people. We hope that the people of the country will join with us in our movement to expedite the trial."

He also said that they want the trial of war criminals as the war criminals had carried out massacre and oppressed women during the country's Liberation War in 1971. "But we do not know why the main opposition is so reluctant about the trial."

The meeting sources said that the partners of the coalition requested the AL leaders to reduce the prices of petroleum if there is any scope which was hiked on January 3. They also requested not to hike the prices of gas and electricity further.

But the ruling party leaders remained silent in this regard, added the sources.

14-party leaders Mohammad Nasim, Rashed Khan Menon, Dilip Barua, Sharif Nurul Ambia and Nurur Rahman Selim, among others, were present in the press conference.