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INTRODUCTION
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mass killing carried out by the Pakistan army in Bangladesh in 1971
happens to be one of the most heinous crimes of the twentieth century.
Such widespread mass killing had not taken place since the World War
II. The mass killing in Kampuchea carried out by the Palpate regime
within the next four years might come close to the Bangladesh massacre
in terms of pervasiveness. But the unfortunate aspect of the Bangladesh
massacre is that the atrocious carnage which took place on the eastern
region of the subcontinent did not raise adequate concern worldwide,
nor was it condemned formally by the world community. Politics used
to receive more importance than ethics during those days of cold war,
so no government level protest or condemnation against the violation
of human rights in Bangladesh were observed although the common people
worldwide denounced the mass killing. The world community is yet to
address this issue. The massacre in Bangladesh cannot be considered
as a problem of a particular country or region, it was a crime conducted
against humanity. Therefore, the world community cannot undermine
its moral obligation to address the crime. This war crime must be
addressed no matter how much time has passed. There have been efforts
to organize international tribunals to prosecute two war crimes of
the recent time. The process of trying the people responsible for
mass killing in Rwanda and the Balkan area has established the role
of the world community in upholding justice. The United Nations has
recently taken initiatives to prosecute the war criminals in Kampuchea.
The massacre in Bangladesh did not take place long ago compared to
Kampuchea. Which is why the need to address the issue of mass killing
carried out by the Pakistan army in Bangladesh is becoming more and
more prominent under the changed circumstances. The atrocities carried out by the Pakistan army in 1971 resulting in the murder, torture and emigration of innocent civilians has gained new significance because of several reasons. Shaheed Janani (mother of the martyr) Jahanara Imam has inspired the post?war young generation to demand the prosecution of the war criminals. The accidental discovery of the two killing fields in Mirpur last year has once again made the people of Bangladesh face the horrific reality of the massacre. Finally when part of the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report was published on "India Today" in August this year ? it acted as the conclusive statement about the atrocities of the Pakistan army. It must be mentioned here that Hamoodur Rahman Commission was formed not to find out the brutal acts of the Pakistan army but to question the leadership of the Pakistan army as the cause behind losing the war and conceal the mass killing. Despite the fact that the report attempted to keep the citizens of Pakistan in the dark about the barbarous deeds in Bangladesh, people in Pakistan have been shocked by the revelations and they have demanded that the entire report be published. This has even created a slight commotion among the ordinary people in Pakistan about the role of the Pakistan army in 1971. Shortly after the defeat of the Pakistan army in Bangladesh, the then President of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto created the Hamoodur Rahman Commission on December 26th, 1971. The goal of the commission was "to determine the nature of the situation which led to the surrender by the chief of the Eastern Command and the soldiers under his supervision." This terms of reference clearly speaks of the limited goal of the commission. Hamoodur Rahman Commission was never a truth commission as sovereignty of the judicial division was never recognized in Pakistan ? a country characterized by rank collusion and tyranny. So it will not be a mistake to say that Hamoodur Rahman Commission protected the personal interest of the political leaders in Pakistan at that time. The then Chief Justice of Pakistan, Hamoodur Rahman was the chairperson of the commission and |
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Published
by Liberation War Museum
Web Page : www.liberationmuseum.org
Web Page : www.liberationmuseum.org