Mahin Khan's false description of 1971 War of Independence of Bangladesh, one of the most ferociously inhuman wars of aggression in the 20th century, as "a nine-month civil war that rocked the country ..." belies the credibility of what else the writer is talking about in this piece. M. Khan speaks about the "theatrical act of political vengeance" as if no crimes were committed by the Jamaati members at all. War crimes committed at a certain time and place are not something one can trump up whimsically just to serve the purpose of political vendetta of a particular political party.
The demand for war crimes trial is not an Awami League ploy. It is a people's demand, and a trial for which the nation had waited 38 years through various political obstructions and delays. AL just utilized this demand in their election campaign by promising to set up a War Crimes Tribunal. How can the ICT be described as fulfilling a 'witch hunt' by the AL-led Govt. of Bangladesh?
The genocidal activities that members of Jamaati Islam party took part in are well recorded by national and international witnesses
and reports, and documents. In addition to local witnesses, some of whom have survived after 40 years, more and more witnesses are emerging from Pakistani perpetrators themselves and their admissions of how Bengali razakars incited them to kill and
destroy certain non-combatant civilian victims designated and pointed out by the razakars.
The War Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka is trying its best to comply with the rules of procedure of International War Crimes Tribunals, and Steven J. Rapp is reported to have been satisfied with the progress the Dhaka Tribunal has made on his last visit a few weeks ago. But, there is a vicious, well-funded campaign that is raging out there against this trial. This article is no doubt a glimpse of that campaign.
Farida Majid
NB -- Though Major Gen. Ziaur Rahman has been under the suspicion of having a hand in the brutal assassination of Sheikh Mujib and his family, it is never suspected that either the dead Mujib or his Awami League had anything to do with the murder of Zia. Yet, reading Mahin Khan's description of "the cycle of retribution and violence" one would be quite liable to assume that AL had something to do with the demise of Zia.
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:32:14 -0800
Subject: Bangladesh: A road map for political disaster
To: farida_majid@hotmail.com
The demand for war crimes trial is not an Awami League ploy. It is a people's demand, and a trial for which the nation had waited 38 years through various political obstructions and delays. AL just utilized this demand in their election campaign by promising to set up a War Crimes Tribunal. How can the ICT be described as fulfilling a 'witch hunt' by the AL-led Govt. of Bangladesh?
The genocidal activities that members of Jamaati Islam party took part in are well recorded by national and international witnesses
and reports, and documents. In addition to local witnesses, some of whom have survived after 40 years, more and more witnesses are emerging from Pakistani perpetrators themselves and their admissions of how Bengali razakars incited them to kill and
destroy certain non-combatant civilian victims designated and pointed out by the razakars.
The War Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka is trying its best to comply with the rules of procedure of International War Crimes Tribunals, and Steven J. Rapp is reported to have been satisfied with the progress the Dhaka Tribunal has made on his last visit a few weeks ago. But, there is a vicious, well-funded campaign that is raging out there against this trial. This article is no doubt a glimpse of that campaign.
Farida Majid
NB -- Though Major Gen. Ziaur Rahman has been under the suspicion of having a hand in the brutal assassination of Sheikh Mujib and his family, it is never suspected that either the dead Mujib or his Awami League had anything to do with the murder of Zia. Yet, reading Mahin Khan's description of "the cycle of retribution and violence" one would be quite liable to assume that AL had something to do with the demise of Zia.
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:32:14 -0800
Subject: Bangladesh: A road map for political disaster
To: farida_majid@hotmail.com
"The cycle of political retribution and violence is no stranger to this young country, yet its leaders appear unwilling to learn. With the ICT trials targeting only political opponents under the cover of a flawed legal process, the AL Government is in danger of repeating a pattern that has been going on for over 36 years. Unfortunately, political vengeance is a recurrent presence in Bangladesh. Should the fires be stoked any further, the danger of a civil confrontation draws ever nearer. Hasina's government would do well to steer clear of the paths taken by her predecessors, for the good of her party and her country. As it stands, her decisions paint a road map for political disaster."
Bangladesh: A road map for political disaster
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