War crimes trial creates scope for ending culture of impunity

The ongoing war crimes trial has not only created a scope for ending the culture of impunity in the country, but also ensured that the people know the truth about the horrific genocide committed by the Pakistan army and their collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War, a special tribunal said yesterday.

"This truth must generate youthquake to go ahead with the spirit of the war of liberation through knowing in exchange of what extent of sacrifice the nation achieved its independent motherland --Bangladesh,” it added.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday made the observations while delivering the verdict in a case filed against five Moulvibazar men for war crimes in 1971.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam found the accused guilty on charges of committing genocide and crimes against humanity and handed down the death penalty to two of them and jail until death to three others.

Of the convicts, Ujer Ahmed Chowdhury, 63, and Nesar Ali, 75, were given death penalties, while Yunus Ahmed, 71, Samsul Hossain Tarafder, 65, and Mobarak Mia, 66, were awarded imprisonment until death.

The Pakistan army and their local collaborators killed some 30 lakh people. More than 2 lakh women were raped and around 1 crore people forced to take refuge in neighbouring India.

After the country's independence, there was a growing demand for bringing to book the perpetrators of the crimes committed during the nine-month war, and trial of the collaborators of the Pakistan army started.

But the trial proceedings stopped after a political changeover following the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975. Subsequently, some identified war criminals were inducted into the cabinet.

After four decades, the Awami League-led government, as per its electoral pledge, formed war crimes tribunal in March 2010 and two tribunals have so far delivered 30 verdicts.

While reading out the historical background and context of the trial, the tribunal yesterday said the nation, particularly the new generation, must know the backdrop of horrific crimes committed in 1971 by the Pakistan army and their local collaborators.

“We consider it expedient to note that the verdict of a court of law is not only meant to render its decision on the arraignment brought,” the tribunal said.

“It must also reflect the truth, behind the commission of horrific criminal acts which shall create youthquake to go ahead with the spirit of the war of liberation,” it added.

The tribunal said the trial of monstrous and barbaric crimes like genocide even after more than four decades “not only ensures lawful space of coming out from the culture of impunity, but also creates an sphere of knowing the truth -- the truth that horrific 'genocide' was committed by the Pakistan occupation army and their notorious local collaborators in the territory of Bangladesh in 1971, during the nine-month war of liberation.”