Thursday, November 1, 2007

Crimes Against Humanity: What Bangladesh Said

It is a rare opportunity to witness Bangladesh Government's official position on crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and violations of the humanitarian rules. After the military coup of 1975, Bangladesh has sadly let the war criminal Jamatis settle and rehabilitate socially and politically. We're presenting what Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammad Zamir said in the United Nations on June 18, 1998, during the Diplomatic Conference for the establishment of the International Criminal Court that will shed lights on Bangladesh Government's once expressed position on war crime and crimes against humanity.

Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammad Zamir states,
"Bangladesh regards the holding of this Diplomatic Conference for the establishment of the ICC as a rare opportunity for the international community to put in place a system of justice which can suitably redress unspeakable crimes of great enormity...

Bangladesh approaches this Conference with an unique background since it has on its Statue books vide its Act No. XIX of 1973. a comprehensive law for the trial and punishment of crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and violations of the humanitarian rules contained in the Geneva conventions of 1949 as well as any other crime with international legal implications...

We reiterate that the high standard of international criminal law and justice demand that the crimes to be included in the Statute should be defined with clarity and precision for the sake of deterrence and the integrity of this new process. When the Father of our Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first gave his historic commitment to try and punish the core crimes on the soil of Bangladesh on January 10, 1972, he viewed the emerging regime of law as part of the very fabric of a new World Dispensation, where individuals would not be able to shelter behind the fecund fictions of theories of the State. It is our hope and belief that this Conference will find fruition of that promise".
Unfortunately, BNP led Bangladesh government actually rewarded war criminal and collaborator Jamatis after 2001 election with ministerial portfolios. Sadly, Jamati Criminals got rewarded instead of being punished. Now these miscreants can even dare to undermine and challenge the freedom fight of 1971 and three million's sacrifice. Now, it is right time to clean up all the messes that the nation has been burdened over the years. If we have to really try the war criminals and collaborators of 1971 right now, Why doesn't the Government initiate the process right now?

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