The search for accountability for the genocide in Bangladesh in 1971 needs international support, argued Drishtipat writers Jalal Alamgir & Tazreena Sajjad in Open Democracy on 9 February 2010.
Jamaat: why worry?
A few months ago, Tiktiki asked:
The debate over the sacking of Golam Azam’s son actually produces a more fundamental debate on the post war crimes trial world – i.e. how to tackle the political Islam minus the war criminals. Can someone who believes in Jamat’s ideology not serve in high ranks in our institutions? Why or why not?
The post generated 103 comments, but except for a handful, I didn’t see anyone address the question raised in the post.
This is not just UV. In the self-styled secular-progressive circle, I see an acute paucity of discussion about Jamaat-e-Islami that doesn’t begin or end with war crimes trial. In a few years, war crimes trial will have no relevance to Tiktiki’s question — hopefully we will have successfully tried the war criminals, or they’ll be dead anyway of natural causes. In fact, anyone serving in high ranks in our institutions would almost certainly be too old to be a war criminal, so the relevance of war crimes is already questionable. And yet, my progressive allies are stuck in a bizarre time warp that refuses to see this. Read more…
Are we prepared?
Back in December 2007, the Economist published ‘Guilty at Birth’, an article dealing with Jamaat-e-Islam’s stake in the elections (December 2008) in view of its legacy and culpability in war crimes that took place in 1971. Soon after, the editor of the Economist received a letter before action from the representatives of the Jamaat’s leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, demanding the withdrawal of the article backed up by a threat to sue the magazine. The Economist retracted the article from its online archives, replacing it with this cryptic message: Read more…
Bangladesh’s long wait for justice
On a recent visit to the capital Dhaka our reporter Katie Hamann met with families of those who were killed and others pushing for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal.
She asked them why it has taken so long and whether justice can finally be achieved.
Listen to the Podcast from the Radio Australia Interview on War crimes and its trials.
Bangladesh & International Criminal Court
ICC URGES BANGLADESH TO BECOME FIRST ASIAN SIGNATORY TO ICC
Bangladesh is being targeted to be first South Asian signatory to International Criminal Court (ICC). The action is urged by the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), a global civil society network of 2,500 organizations in 150 countries that advocates for a fair, effective and independent ICC. Read more…
1973 War Crimes Act
The Law Commission recently invited legal experts to give feedback on the 1973 War Crimes Act to make it “current”. In light of this request, Drishtipat has taken an independent initiative to collect legal feedback on the Act, and hereby respectfully present our comments. The primary purpose of these collected comments is to ensure compliance with international standards of due process, so that cases filed under this act are strong enough, and do not get rejected in a future appeals court due to non-compliance with international standards. As Drishtipat is deeply committed to war crimes trials, we also believe it is absolutely essential that the trials conform to international standards, so that the verdicts can be internationally respected and recognized.
- Jyoti Rahman & Naeem Mohaiemen: Getting It Right
- Drishtipat: recommendations for the ammendment
- Human Rights Watch: Upgrade War Crimes Law
- Parliament Passes 2009 Amendments
- Govt okays law change but not enough.
- Download International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 here
War Crimes Trial — the convicted 752
Liberation War Museum arranged a talk by a Cambodian expert on war crimes who is currently overseeing the war crimes trial for crimes against humanity committed in 1978 in Cambodia. The depth and breadth of the work for a war crimes trial became a little bit apparent from how she described her work. She insisted that a war crimes trial must be done openly, transparently and following the due process. She explained that although this process will become lengthy and costly but that should not deter us from doing the trial in the right way.
Akku Chowdhury mentioned at the event that the issue of war crimes trial has moved from a demand to nitty gritty details on how it should be done as this is a matter of time now. In another example of fact based analysis, Mijanur Rahman Khan at Prothom Alo suggests a way — start with those who have already been convicted.
On December 31st, 1975, there were 11,000 war criminals accused of rape, arson and murder were in Jail. Of them 752 of them were already convicted. However, in 1975 during Zia’s martial law days, a special act was passed cancelling the collaborator’s act, 1972. This followed the release of all the 752 convicts and the rest 10,248 accused.
Mijan, suggests, quite rightly, that the parliament should cancel this indemnity act that saved the war criminals as this was in violation of the then constitution and international treaties against war crimes signed by Bangladesh at that time. So this would mean, cancelling the act in the parliament that would make way for those 11,000 to be arrested again. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable start to the trial process to me. At least the 752 convicts would be in Jail.
Tazreena Sajjad on War Crimes
Tazreena Sajjad of DP on RTV, on war crimes. This is one of her two appearances on this topic. If someone has the video of the second session (which was better), please upload.
