The 1971 Genocide in Bangladesh and Its International Recognition

 

 The word ‘genocide’ is the combination of the Greek word ‘genos’ and Latin suffix ‘caedo’. genos+caedo=Genocide. ‘Genos’ means race or people. ‘Caedo’ means the act of killing. So genocide is termed as killing of mass people. Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined the term of genocide in his book ‘Axis Power Rule in Occupied Europe” published in 1943. During World War II the alliance of Germany, Italy and Japan was Axis Power. The analysis of atrocities on Polish people by Axis Power as described by Raphael was adopted by the UN Genocide Convention as the criteria for determining “genocidal acts”

According to Lemkin "genocide” means the destruction of a nation, in whole or in part or of an ethnic group. He opined that mass killings of the members of a nation is genocide. The coordinated plan of various formation of actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of a national groups aiming to destroy a nation is also genocide.

The objective of genocide is to carry out atrocities and mass killing with the intention of destroyinga nation, to cause downgrading of the culture, language, religion of a group of people, collapse the economic existence, personal security, personal liberty, health care facilities, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to a group of human being.

A series of genocide occurred in different countries since ancient period. The Political Instability Task Force (a research organization in USA) estimated that 43 genocides occurred between 1956 and 2016, resulting in about 50 million deaths. The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) estimated that  50 million people  had been displaced by such genocide up to 2008.

The humanity was defeated to the perpetrators of genocides. Inhumanity, cruelty, animalism and barbarism trampled humanity and appeared in an ugly and terrible form to cause massive killing of human beings. Genocide is still occurring in various parts of the world despite a lot of international laws against genocide including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide    (CPPCG) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1948 and came into effect on 12 January 1951 (Resolution 260 (III)). The definition of genocide is set out in the convention in line of definitions recognized by international community who dealt genocide. Laterthis definition of genocide has been incorporated into the national criminal laws of many countries. International Criminal Court (ICC) has also adopted the UN definition of genocide. According to Article II of the Convention the definition of genocide is as follows:

Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical or religious group of people is genocide:

(a)    Killing members of the group of people.
(b)    Causing serious bodily or mental harm to the members of the group;
(c)    Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d)    Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e)    Forcibly transferring children  from the parents of a group to another group.

The Pakistan army started genocidal acts in the name of ‘Operation Searchlight’ on the Bengalis on the night of 25 March 1971. The aim of the crackdown was to eradicate the desire for political right and freedom of the people and supress the independence movement of Bengalis by destroying and eliminating the followers of the political party- Awami League and its supporters including intellectuals group. In the first night of operation searchlight the Pakistani military killed about 50,000  civilians and police personnel. At the end of the war and just before the dawn of the independence the Pakistan army and their collaborators killed so many intellectuals with the intention of crippling the Bengali nation by destroying its talent.

It was a planned crackdown by Pakistani Rulers and their agents in the then East Pakistan with a view to destroy political activists who raised voice for politicalrights and autonomy.The Pakistani military and their local collaborators killed about 3 (three) million people and raped two lakh women in nine months. It was amount to an ethnic cleansing.

Pakistani army committed all crimes which fall under the definition of genocide. The Pakistani rulers had also plan to eliminate all members of Hindu religion. They killed hundreds of Hindu people indiscriminately Incidences of atrocities such as mass-killing, torture, sexual violence, detention and destructions by arson had been documented by international fact-finding commissions. The United Nations and the War Crimes Facts Finding Committee, Bangladesh also collected evidences of genocide committed by Pak army.

It was proved that the Pak army committed heinous crimes such as mass killing, rape, torture, setting  fire to the dwelling and commercial houses of the people who demanded freedom. The properties were set on fire indiscriminately. The atrocities of Pakistan military caused bodily and mental harm of the people. About 10 (ten) million people were displaced from their home and took refuge in the neighbouring country. All the criteria of genocide were present in the atrocities of Pakistan army. If any act of the five acts of perpetrators is inflicted on the members of a group of people or ethnic group, it is genocide as per the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). So, Pakistan army’s atrocities inflicted on Bengalis are undoubtedly genocidal acts.

After the war the atrocities of the Pakistani army unfolded. The evidences of mass killing, detention centres, torture camp, rape camp, mass graves came into light. The atrocities and barbarous acts of Pakistan army such as killing, rape, and torture have been described in the testimonial statements of victims, survivors and the members of victims’ family. The atrocities were amount to war crimes. The media reports of various national and international news agencies gave a clear picture of genocide committed by Pakistan army during nine months’ occupation of Bangladesh. But 1971 genocide history of Bangladesh could not be reached to the international communities. It is lesser known to people outside Bangladesh. Its widespread recognition could not be established due to lack of proper and required initiative by the govts.

After independence, father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman set up a process to try the perpetrators of the genocide. Bangabandu’s govt enacted the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 for trial of the persons responsible for committing genocide, crimes against humanity, war crime and other crimes under international law.The then administration also made efforts to highlight the Pakistani army’s war crimes to the international community. Shortly after the start of the trial process, Bangabandhu was assassinated in 1975 by the conspirators from home and abroad. After the assassination of Bangabandhu the vested quarters of Pakistani ideology captured the state power unconstitutionally using military force. The martial law govt of general Zia and Ershad  had no interest to try the war criminals. They had no interest to get the international recognition of genocide committed by the Pakistan army in Bangladesh.

But till now the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide has not been recognised by the UN. Genocide Watch recognised the atrocities of Pakistan army committed in 1971 as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crime. The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience and International Association of Genocide Scholars (IASG) have already recognized Bangladesh genocide.  They called upon international community, including the UN, to immediately recognise the 1971 Bangladesh genocide and to pay tribute to the victims and to hold perpetrators accountable. US based organisation the Lemkin  Institute for Genocide Prevention recognised the Pakistan army’s mass killing as genocide on the occasion of 50th anniversary of Bangladesh independence.

 From 2010 efforts are being made for international recognition by Awami League Govt. is trying its best to get the recognition of the genocide.  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also raising the genocide issue in different forums and seek the supports of the internal communities. Advocacy initiatives have been taken by civil society and diaspora groups in support of genocide recognition. Sector Commanders Forum, Liberation War Museum, Genocide   Museum, European Bangladesh Forum, Projamma ’71 have been making continuous efforts and carrying out campaign to achieve international recognition of the genocide. Awami League Govt  declared March 25 as Genocide Day in 2017. Since then, March 25 is being observed as Genocide Day in Bangladesh marking the atrocities committed by Pakistani Army in 1971.

Global recognition for 1971 genocide, especially from the UN will bear significance for Bangladesh. The world community will have the opportunity to know the barbarous atrocities of Pakistan army. They will know what sacrifice was made by Bengalis to achieve independence. The present and future generations in Bangladesh will be sensitized to pay homage to the martyrs, heroic freedom fighters and organisers of the liberation war. They will be proud of the heroic and valiant sons of the soil.

The efforts and campaign for international recognition of 1971 Bangladesh genocide by the UN are to be kept live. Bangladesh Govt needs to intensify the campaign by its foreign missions and Bangladeshi diaspora. The ambassadors and High commissioners of the foreign missions are to observe Genocide Day on 25 March every year. The high govt officials, politicians, human rights activists, genocide scholars and civil society members of the host country are to be invited to the occasion. They are to be shown and briefed by video-audio presentation of the atrocities of Pakistan army in 1971. Thus the opinion of global community can be formed in favour of genocide of Bangladesh to get support of the move, when Bangladesh will put up the issue in the UN sessions for recognition of the genocide.

It is hoped the UN will soon recognise the 1971 Bangladesh genocide committed by Pakistan Army.


A K M Shahidul Hoque is former Inspector General of Bangladesh
Police and Vice President,
Sector Commanders Forum.