Bangladesh to put former Pakistan army officer on trial for 1971 war crimes

[Stephen Cohen]

Bangladesh to put former Pakistan army officer on trial for 1971 war crimes

Shahidullah is the first, amongst several other former Bengali army officers to be put on trial for crimes against humanity.

By: PTI | Dhaka | Published:March 21, 2017 9:24 pm

A Bengali army officer, who sided with the Pakistani forces during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, will be put on trial for committing crimes against humanity, becoming the first Pakistani army officer to face the charges. Coordinator of a special investigation cell on war crimes Mohammad Abdul Hannan on Tuesday said that the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) finalised its investigation report on accused 75-year-old former Pakistani army Captain Mohammad Shahidullah. “We found his involvement in crimes like murder, confinement, torture and looting,” Hannan told reporters. The ICT, during its investigation that continued from 11 October 2015 to 20 March 2017, could primarily prove three counts of charges against Shahidullah who been in jail since his arrest on August 2, 2016.

“He was posted in West Pakistan and on leave at his home… He reported to duty at Dhaka cantonment as the war broke out and (subsequently) committed monstrous crimes in Comilla district as he was transferred there,” Hannan said. Shahidullah is the first Bengali former army officer to be put on trial for crimes against humanity but investigations were underway against several other Bengali army officers who took part in atrocities as members of Pakistan army in 1971.

Bangladesh launched the belated process of trying 1971 war criminals in 2010 while all those who were tried until now are civilians and mostly belonged to fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to the independence. Six 1971 war crimes convicts, including five Jamaat leaders and one from the former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have been executed so far.


Three convicts were sentenced to “imprisonment until death” and two of them died in jail. Most Bengali military officers stationed in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) revolted against Pakistan after the sudden crackdown on unarmed Bengali population in 1971 while several others fled West Pakistan to join the Liberation War. But 1971 war veterans and researchers said several Bengali officers were there who preferred to side with Pakistani troops and went to West Pakistan after laying down weapons along with the defeated Pakistan army.

 

[YeBeWarned]

exactly! what kind of fuckery is this... i mean he pledged his allegiance to pakistan in the war, whom is he supposed to kill in the war, pakistanis? pfft

Of course he might have raped 100 Million Bengali Women and alone have killed 500 Million Bangladeshi .. what a cruel soldier he might be

 

[Homo Sapiens]

exactly! what kind of fuckery is this... i mean he pledged his allegiance to pakistan in the war, whom is he supposed to kill in the war, pakistanis? pfft

His pledge became redundent when Pak force started genocide in 25th march night.After than,any Bengali who served Pakistani forces became a traitor and war criminal.

Most of the Bengali members in Army,air force,navy,police,border guard stationed in East Pakistan defected on masses after 25th march and formed the nucleus of Mukti Bahini.But some scumbag decided to stay and engaged in war crime like this one.

 

[Mo12]

exactly! what kind of fuckery is this... i mean he pledged his allegiance to pakistan in the war, whom is he supposed to kill in the war, pakistanis? pfft

you should fight for his justice in bangladesh then

 

[Nilgiri]

exactly! what kind of fuckery is this... i mean he pledged his allegiance to pakistan in the war, whom is he supposed to kill in the war, pakistanis? pfft

Killing enemy combatants in battle compared to war crimes against innocent people are two very different things.....I hope you understand that.

The "following orders"/allegiance argument did not hold up for multitudes of German wehrmacht personnel (past the nuremberg trials of nazi leadership) when they were prosecuted for war crimes through due process, even by their own country (sometimes well after nuremberg was over and new evidence chains came to light regarding regular officers and grunts in the heer,LW,KM etc).

So it will definitely not hold up here either.....if there is evidence of war crimes (i.e killing of unarmed civilians etc). That is what the trial is supposed to ascertain in the first place.

It is of course another matters that there is no war crimes investigation/trials regarding the MB side....but that is a standard thing world over when you are on winning side (for example: did the US ever get one small hearing on the fire bombing of what they clearly knew were purely civilian areas in Japan?). Only the losers have potential for prosecution. Too bad for this chap that he didn't make it out with the other 90,000 or so that were eventually released back to Pakistan (some of whom were indulged in war crimes as well).

 

[graphican]

Bangladesh is spinning in circles of its past.

 

[Clutch]

Clutching at straws... lynching to feed their inferiority complex.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Wasting time over a fitna that Hindu started by flooding Bangladesh for 10 years between 60's and 70's

I pay my full respect to the man who sided with Pakistan and every one who sided with Pakistan and suffered in aftermath

 

[rome333]

Bangladesh is spinning in circles of its past.

Clutching at straws... lynching to feed their inferiority complex.

Lessson to Learn - Justise Prevails, whether its today tomorrow or the day after.

 

[kris]

Wasting time over a fitna that Hindu started by flooding Bangladesh for 10 years between 60's and 70's

I pay my full respect to the man who sided with Pakistan and every one who sided with Pakistan and suffered in aftermath

Other than respect what can you offer??
Any Legal assistance??

In the end they will be on their own, disavowed

Clutching at straws... lynching to feed their inferiority complex.

What else you want.... A title for Mass murders

Bangladesh has taken a right step, but tooo late .
I can't understand the reason for such delay.
It gave chance for losers and murderers to cry foul

 

[A.A. Khan]

When will Bangladesh put indian terrorists on TRIAL for murdering raping Bengalis in Nellie massacre in Assam, 1984? How long will this Bangla regime use 1971 to take out or silence opponents?

When will Bangladesh go to Hague or a world body with the proof of the claims on 'millions dead 'it has indoctrinated in its people thru literature and media? The way Bangladesh is burning its bridges with Pakistan how long will Bangladesh continue to promote indian interests with india not taking advantage like the recent defence deal to buy india's crappy equipment? How long will Pakistan state continue to ignore & keep the 1974 tripartite agreement alive which is now dead? I assure you there are Pakistanis who are happy to see Bangladesh doing this and looking to stop our ties with them, there no.s are growing by the day not knowing how Bengalis contributed to PAkistan military, social, economic, diplomacy even after 1971.

There are so many questions but let Bangladesh shot itself in the foot. I hope Bangladesh can also use the ties with india to promote its own interests like STOP PERSECUTION OF Bangladeshi Migrants and get them citizenship thru legal means not by forcible conversiobns to hinduism like Ghar Wapsi.

 

[Indika]

Killing enemy combatants in battle compared to war crimes against innocent people are two very different things.....I hope you understand that.

Right, there is a clear distinction. Even if he swore allegiance to west pakistan he had no business with civilians.

This trial will ensure and put fear in ppl with power holding high ranks that their deeds will not go unpunished. This will also serve as a deterrence to ppl from taking such actions in future. Bangladesh has faced coups in the past for this very reason where generals think they can simply walk away after coming to power. This will ensure they abide by the constitution and decisions of elected institutions.

 

[graphican]

Only fools can't remember past and do foolish things again and again.It seems Pakistani don't want to remember past and want to continue to do mistake which was done earlier.This time in Baluchistan.

BD is very much forward looking,our developmental trajectory testify that.But that doesn't mean we will forget our past not to acquire any lesson or renew of our resolve to strive for the goal to attain the principle for which we did the liberation war.

@Doyalbaba;

Only fools go back to win their liberation another time. Look at your National face that you are hanging 70 years old for their sincerity toward a united country.

Do it mate, you do not hurt any Pakistani by hanging Bangladeshis. Do it 200 times more. You are only cutting your own skin in the name of giving yourself some pleasure - so do it more. You want me to clap for you while you spin in few more circles? You want me to clap for you twice?

 

[LA se Karachi]

This time in Baluchistan.

Post whatever nonsense you want. But Balochistan is not comparable to Bangladesh. The people there don't want independence and consider themselves Pakistani, regardless of what you might tell yourself. Visit the province sometime.

 

[I.R.A]

Only fools can't remember past and do foolish things again and again.It seems Pakistani don't want to remember past and want to continue to do mistake which was done earlier.This time in Baluchistan.

BD is very much forward looking,our developmental trajectory testify that.But that doesn't mean we will forget our past not to acquire any lesson or renew of our resolve to strive for the goal to attain the principle for which we did the liberation war.

Why don't you ask Hasina to attack Pakistan and take revenge for once and for all. This madness of hanging aged old people needs to stop.