Finally, Pakistan will now be held accountable for its act of mass murder and rape during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971 by the Genocide Watch, a US-based organisation that campaigns against all forms of mass murder.
On Thursday in commemoration of 50 years in for the formation of Bangladesh, a statement released by Genocide Watch says, “Genocide Watch recognizes the crimes committed by the Military Forces of Pakistan against the Bengali population in Bangladesh in 1971 as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,”.
“These crimes by the Pakistani Military Forces constituted the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearance of persons, and other inhumane acts,” the declaration states.
“Strong evidence supports the conclusion that the crimes committed against the Bengalis of East Pakistan during 1971 were widespread and systematic and carried out by the Pakistani Army, other militia forces (Razakars, Al Badr, Al Shams etc.), and pan-Islamic political forces (including Jamat e Islam, Nezam e Islam and the Muslim League).
“Conclusive research by internationally recognized genocide experts indicates that the nature, scale and organization of the Pakistani Military operations demonstrates planning and intentional design by the Pakistani junta leadership and military command to destroy a substantial part of the Bengali ethnic and national group and a substantial part of the Bengali Hindu religious group,” the report said.
Gregory Stanton, founder of Genocide Watch, called upon the United Nation General Assembly to adopt a resolution recognising the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh and asked all member states of the United Nations, especially the US, the UK, and Pakistan, to recognise the crimes committed by Pakistani Military Forces in the erstwhile East Pakistan for crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Stanton also called to charge surviving leaders of this genocide in national courts with universal jurisdiction and proper reparations for these crimes from Pakistan to Bangladesh.
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