(credit: www.MonjurulHoque.com via Flickr)
1971 marked the year of Bangladesh’s battle of independence from Pakistan. During this year thousands of activists, educators, artists and others were tortured and killed, and women raped. We do not know exactly how many people were affected, but some estimate that three million people were killed, and 200,000 women were raped. Most of the war criminals were never brought to justice as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding leader and father of the current prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was assassinated before he could put the alleged war criminals on trial.
Now a special tribunal has been set up to try people accused of committing war crimes during this period. Three High Court judges have been appointed to this tribunal. A panel of retired civil, police and military officials was also set up to prosecute Bangladeshis who sided with Pakistan during the war. According to a statement from the law ministry, a 1973 act outlining prosecution and punishment for people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes under international law would be used. Under this act, the highest punishment that can be meted out is the death penalty. Some estimate that as many as 1600 people could be tried, although members of the then-Pakistani military will not be prosecuted.
