War criminals

Ghulam Azam is the third war crime suspect who appeared in the Bangladesh government’s appointed International Crimes Tribunal, May 13.

Earlier Jamat-e-Islami’s deputy Delwar Sayedee and BNP’s lawmaker Salauddin Chowdhry have been indicted. 89-year-old Ghulam Azam who was Jamat-e-Islami’s chief in then East Pakistan, was indicted for incitement, conspiracy, murder, torture, planning, abetment and failure to prevent crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971.

One of the specific charges against him is about his involvement in the torture and murder of 38 people in Brahmanbaria on Nov 11, 1971; alleged massacre carried out by Jamat’s militia Al Badr on the written orders from Ghulam.

Some people may question why digging the past after 40 years. But I think it’s important to get to the truth – were Pakistan Army, Jamat-e-Islami and its militia groups – Al Badr and Al Shams involved in crimes against humanity? Did Mukti Bahani (Liberation Army) also carry out massacres of Urdu-speaking Biharis and West Pakistani civilians living in then East Pakistan? How true is the allegation that 3 million people died during the Liberation War and if so where are the mass graves of these 3 million victims?

If Bangladesh can probe its past, why can’t Pakistan do the same thing to clear its position? Justice Homoud-ur-Rehman Commission report could be used as a guide to indict those, even posthumously, who were involved in the war crimes in 1970-71. This will set a precedent for all those who are fighting for or against different liberation movements currently ongoing in the region.

MASOOD KHAN

Jubail, Saudi Arabia