The War Criminals and Killers of Bloggers need to be treated similarly in Bangladesh
- In Dispatch
- 01:52 AM, May 13, 2016
- Ranabir Bhattacharyya
The execution of war criminal Jamaat-e-Islami party head Motiur Rahman Nizami has brought in relief among the veterans and survivors of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Although the Jamaat-e-Islami supporters have referred to Nizami as 'martyr' and the whole judgment as political vendetta, the common Bangladeshis have applauded the procedure, calling it timely and justice for those who have lost their near and dear ones four and half decades back. As per the existing historical records, during the nine month long conflict between the ‘Muktijoddhas’ and Pakistani Army, hundreds of thousands of people were killed by the Pakistani Army and local pro Pakistani outfits like Razakars, Al Badr, Al Shams and others. The present Awami League government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been at the forefront of punishing those individuals who committed notorious war crimes during the 1971 war of independence.
One can recall the formation of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh in 2009 to investigate and prosecute all those suspects in the one the biggest genocides that the world has ever seen. Incidentally the war crime fact finding committee investigated and submitted a report in 2008 identifying 1600 suspects. In 2013, the notorious Abdul Quader Molla, Assistant Secretary of Jamaat, was the first person to be sentenced to death by the International Crime Tribunal. Although in the beginning, he was sentence to life imprisonment, later Shahbag protests and demonstrations led to hanging of Abdul Quader Molla.
The present political scenario in Bangladesh indeed speaks volumes of lawlessness and darkness. With no election as such, Awami League has become the default ruler under Sheikh Hasina. The Sheikh Hasina Government has been criticized for its inaction is several areas. But there pro active attitude in working out the ICT has been welcomed from India, who helped a lot during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war. The relations between the Sheikh Hasina Government and the Narendra Modi Government in India have improved a lot. Narendra Modi himself visited Bangladesh last year and assured help to the neighboring country. Still there are various aspects like illegal immigration, extortion rackets which need attention and co-operation from the Sheikh Hasina Government. Meanwhile Sheikh Hasina has to be applauded for her genuine efforts in giving justice to thousands of families who were brutally devastated in the 1971 genocide unleashed by the Pakistani Army and the local Bangladeshi outfits.
There have been apprehensions from various quarters that Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina is more committed in punishing the serious offenders in war crimes during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war, rather than safeguarding the atheist bloggers who are hacked in daylight in the last few years. Her indifference to such bloody killings of innocent writers and free thinkers has been condemned by several human rights organizations. Writers and feminists of the caliber of Taslima Nasreen had no other option but to take refuge in other countries. The situation is deteriorating and the rising Islamic-terrorism is reaching its zenith which is detrimental to Bangladesh’s interests and also is a cause for concern for neighboring countries like India, Myanmar. Several human rights organizations have also called for reviewing death penalty as punishment for war criminals. Human Rights Watch and several other organizations have called for clemency for the convicts.
Whether the Islamic outfits are like Jamaat, BNP are getting more sympathizers with the whole procedure, needs to be looked at carefully. The plight of the minorities especially Hindus have been miserable. Be it forceful conversion or rape, the basic humanitarian needs are violated. Even the LGBT community is facing death threat from Islamist groups. In the last month alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu, were hacked to death by these outfits. The situation is serious and demotivating. Not only India, but other countries are looking forward to positive steps from Sheikh Hasina Government in bringing peace and harmony in the country and rescuing Bangladesh from the clutches of radical Islam. One expects from Sheikh Hasina to have statesman like attitude and treat war criminals and killers of atheist bloggers and free thinkers in the same tone, are working for a better Bangladesh, not looking at political benefits of her party, Awami League.
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