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'Genocide by Pak army was gross mistake'
'Genocide by Pak army was gross mistake' | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com
Mon, Apr 16th, 2012 10:43 pm BdST
Dhaka, Apr 16 (bdnews24.com) – Two veteran British journalists have observed that Pakistani army committed a 'tremendous mistake' by killing 7,000 people on the night of Mar 25, 1971 to teach Bengalees a lesson and that people must be held 'accountable' for their crimes even if it happened 40 years back.
"In my view, Pakistani army made a tremendous mistake by attacking Bengalees," Mark Tully who worked for BBC in 1971 told a programme, based on reminiscences of the Liberation War, in Dhaka on Monday.
Another journalist Simon Dring, who wrote the first report on the genocide in Dhaka on Mar 25, said: "So far as I know, 7,000 people were killed on that night. All of them were not fighting against the Pakistani army, but they were killed just to teach Bengalees a lesson."
The two noted war journalists recollected their memories, along with sector commander KM Shafuallh, in a function styled 'Smriti 71'.
Ministers, members of the parliament, politicians, businessmen, researchers, celebrities and foreign delegates, among others, attended the function moderated by bdnews24.com editor in chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi.
Presenting his view on the ongoing war crimes trial, Dring said people must be held accountable for their crimes even if it happened 40 years back.
"Israel is still holding the trial for the holocaust crimes," he said adding, "There are many reports which tell of the level of crimes committed against Bengalees."
Tully pointed out: "(Since) you are trying individuals, it must be proved what an individual did."
General Shafiullah felt that the rule of law cannot be established until those committed crimes are brought to book.
PROGRESSING BANGLADESH
Bangladesh has made a significant progress in the last 40 years in many areas, observed Tully.
"Many people may have forgotten the horrible situation immediately after the war. Infrastructure was completely shattered," he said.
"When Bangabandhu came to Bangladesh he had to arrange finance for infrastructure, formulate a constitution, raise police and army, among numerous other problems," he said.
"Bangladesh has overcome all those problems and achieved a remarkable growth," Tully added.
Dring said, "(Post war) No infrastructure existed and it was a herculean task ... It looked almost impossible to achieve."
"Forty years on, Bangladesh has improved significantly in economic and many other areas."
SCARY EXPERIENCE
He recalled on Mar 26 an army major named Siddique asked them to vacate the then Intercontinental Hotel in the city.
"When I asked if it's an order, he said 'no but you should leave for your own safety'," Dring recounted.
"We were watching from the rooftop what was happening in Dhaka."
"On Mar 27, some Mukti Bahini people helped us document the situation in Dhaka," he said.
Dring left for Thailand with all his notebooks intact and filed a story on the genocide which was published in The Telegraph on Mar 30. Datelined Dhaka it was called "How Dhaka paid for a united Pakistan" and Dring's account of the army's attack on Dhaka University was horrifying and shocking but vivid and factual.
Tully said when Dring left Dhaka, there was no foreign journalist in the city.
"I visited Rajshahi and I saw all the villages were burnt down and the Pak army had taken to the policy of torching the country," he said.
The veteran BBC journalist said when he visited West Pakistan, nobody believed that their army could do such atrocities.
"When I visited the foreign ministry, I was told BBC was broadcasting only half the story," he said adding, "BBC was then referred to as Bharat Broadcasting Corporation or British Bakwas Corporation."
DIVISIONS IN PAK ARMY
Tully said Pakistan army was clearly divided over how to handle Bangladesh.
"Some Pakistanis felt there should be a military solution, while some believed in peaceful solution," he said.
Dring said when he left Dhaka in March, he saw Pakistani army had pulled down Bangladesh flag and hoisted Pakistani one.
"When I visited the house of Bangabandhu, I saw that Bangladesh flag was not there," he said.
At the end of the programme, Mohammadi group managing director Rubana Huq, who was at the helm of the organising team, thanked everyone.
bdnews24.com/ssz/nir/2345h
'Genocide by Pak army was gross mistake' | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com
Mon, Apr 16th, 2012 10:43 pm BdST
Dhaka, Apr 16 (bdnews24.com) – Two veteran British journalists have observed that Pakistani army committed a 'tremendous mistake' by killing 7,000 people on the night of Mar 25, 1971 to teach Bengalees a lesson and that people must be held 'accountable' for their crimes even if it happened 40 years back.
"In my view, Pakistani army made a tremendous mistake by attacking Bengalees," Mark Tully who worked for BBC in 1971 told a programme, based on reminiscences of the Liberation War, in Dhaka on Monday.
Another journalist Simon Dring, who wrote the first report on the genocide in Dhaka on Mar 25, said: "So far as I know, 7,000 people were killed on that night. All of them were not fighting against the Pakistani army, but they were killed just to teach Bengalees a lesson."
The two noted war journalists recollected their memories, along with sector commander KM Shafuallh, in a function styled 'Smriti 71'.
Ministers, members of the parliament, politicians, businessmen, researchers, celebrities and foreign delegates, among others, attended the function moderated by bdnews24.com editor in chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi.
Presenting his view on the ongoing war crimes trial, Dring said people must be held accountable for their crimes even if it happened 40 years back.
"Israel is still holding the trial for the holocaust crimes," he said adding, "There are many reports which tell of the level of crimes committed against Bengalees."
Tully pointed out: "(Since) you are trying individuals, it must be proved what an individual did."
General Shafiullah felt that the rule of law cannot be established until those committed crimes are brought to book.
PROGRESSING BANGLADESH
Bangladesh has made a significant progress in the last 40 years in many areas, observed Tully.
"Many people may have forgotten the horrible situation immediately after the war. Infrastructure was completely shattered," he said.
"When Bangabandhu came to Bangladesh he had to arrange finance for infrastructure, formulate a constitution, raise police and army, among numerous other problems," he said.
"Bangladesh has overcome all those problems and achieved a remarkable growth," Tully added.
Dring said, "(Post war) No infrastructure existed and it was a herculean task ... It looked almost impossible to achieve."
"Forty years on, Bangladesh has improved significantly in economic and many other areas."
SCARY EXPERIENCE
He recalled on Mar 26 an army major named Siddique asked them to vacate the then Intercontinental Hotel in the city.
"When I asked if it's an order, he said 'no but you should leave for your own safety'," Dring recounted.
"We were watching from the rooftop what was happening in Dhaka."
"On Mar 27, some Mukti Bahini people helped us document the situation in Dhaka," he said.
Dring left for Thailand with all his notebooks intact and filed a story on the genocide which was published in The Telegraph on Mar 30. Datelined Dhaka it was called "How Dhaka paid for a united Pakistan" and Dring's account of the army's attack on Dhaka University was horrifying and shocking but vivid and factual.
Tully said when Dring left Dhaka, there was no foreign journalist in the city.
"I visited Rajshahi and I saw all the villages were burnt down and the Pak army had taken to the policy of torching the country," he said.
The veteran BBC journalist said when he visited West Pakistan, nobody believed that their army could do such atrocities.
"When I visited the foreign ministry, I was told BBC was broadcasting only half the story," he said adding, "BBC was then referred to as Bharat Broadcasting Corporation or British Bakwas Corporation."
DIVISIONS IN PAK ARMY
Tully said Pakistan army was clearly divided over how to handle Bangladesh.
"Some Pakistanis felt there should be a military solution, while some believed in peaceful solution," he said.
Dring said when he left Dhaka in March, he saw Pakistani army had pulled down Bangladesh flag and hoisted Pakistani one.
"When I visited the house of Bangabandhu, I saw that Bangladesh flag was not there," he said.
At the end of the programme, Mohammadi group managing director Rubana Huq, who was at the helm of the organising team, thanked everyone.
bdnews24.com/ssz/nir/2345h
