War Crime Trials and The Role of International Community

Published on Wednesday, 11 December 2013

It is surprising to see that US, UK, EU and United Nations are not only concerned over the plans to execute the notorious war criminal Quader Molla but they are trying to halt his execution.It is incomprehensible why the growing Islamist militancy in Bangladesh is not causing any concern in the inter­national community especially the US. Why Americans are still treating Jamaat as a normal political party? Jamaat leaders are seen at American embassy parties and even visited the state department. I think that the US understanding of extremism in Bangladesh is flawed. It is impossible to deal with extremism in Bangladesh while assuming Jamaat to be a normal political party. The Jamaat is a party which is operating under democratic system of government to achieve undemocratic objectives. Their objective is same as the objective of Taliban. Only the means adopted is different. The influence of BNP's alliance with Jamaat is seen in its policy and practice. It is very difficult for the BNP to acknowledge the existence of Islamic militants in Bangladesh and take action against them while being in company of Jamaat. If the ever increasing activity of Islamist and deteriorating law and order condition in Bangladesh do not create worldwide concern, then it is clear that there is an international conspiracy against Bangladesh. I am afraid that if things are not controlled in Bangladesh then the country might also become another trouble-spot like Pakistan or Afghanistan. Sometimes it strikes my mind whether the US wants to transform Bangladesh into a trouble-spot like Pakistan or Afghanistan!

I personally think that the failure to successfully prosecute war criminals was one important factor that led to revival of extremism in the country. This probably created a feeling among the extremists that their anti-national action would be tolerated even during the present times. This also prompted them to intensify terrorist activities within Bangladesh.

The Sheikh Hasina government however now appears determined to remove this anomaly. She has started the process of war crime trial knowing fully well that this could also mean trouble for her government. Islamist in alliance with the BNP have tremendous muscle power and ability to create chaos in the country and that is what they are showing now. The government of Sheikh Hasina needs to be appreciated for the risk it is taking by prosecuting war criminals. The prosecution of war criminals brought chaos to Bangladesh. But the Awami League government is going ahead with the trials. The government however is alive to the danger that is posed by this. In this critical moment the present government needs all out support from all freedom loving people of the world to complete the trials successfully. We must decide whether we want to identify ourselves with the liberation forces or the anti-liberation forces. The choice taken by us would define the direction of our beloved country Bangladesh! On Marx's gravestone one can read: "Philosophers have interpreted the world in different ways. The point is however to change it". So friends please come forward and raise your voice to change our beloved motherland into a free, secular, democratic country. For this if we are required to die then we should not hesitate to die.