Dhaka - Bangladesh's Awami League-led alliance government is considering special tribunals to prosecute war crimes committed during its liberation war 38 years ago, media reports said Tuesday.

"A war crimes tribunal can be constituted to try the perpetrators of crimes against humanity under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973," Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafique Ahmed was quoted as saying.

During its war of independence against Pakistani occupation forces in 1971, according to some historians, 3 million unarmed people were killed, 200,000 women were violated and tens of thousands of homes were torched by the Pakistani forces and their local collaborators.

An early initiative to prosecute war crimes was called off after political changeover in 1975 with assassination of Sheikh Mijibur Rahman, architect of Bangladesh's independence.

His daughter, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, pledged during her 2008 electoral campaign to try war criminals when her party came to power.

"Give some more time to the government. We will of course try war criminals in keeping with the election pledges," Ahmed said.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni sought United Nations assistance on war crimes tribunals from US resident coordinator in Dhaka Renata Lok Dessallien.

The UN envoy suggested more study into how other countries handled war crimes cases to avoid any "unfortunate experience."

"It is very important for Bangladesh to analyse the war trials issue clearly before taking any action. And that's what we discussed," Dessallien said.

Bangladesh Sector Commander Forum, a platform of 1971 war veterans, revealed last year that 11,000 indicted war criminals were released from jail a few months after Mujib's assassination in 1975. (dpa)