Muktijudho
1971 Bangladesh Genocide Not to bring genocide perpetrators to justice is a shame for Pakistan: Momen
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, March 26: Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen has said that Pakistan did not bring the then military junta, who had committed genocide in Bangladesh in 1971, to justice, it is a shame for the country.
He told reporters after attending a seminar on "Bangladesh Genocide in 1971" at the Liberation War Museum in the capital on Friday (March 25) that Pakistan should have brought them (the genocidal) to trial. He hoped that the next generation of Pakistanis would confess to the crimes of 1971 and bring the perpetrators of Bangladesh genocide to justice.
Dr. Momen said, "Bangladesh had faced various obstacles in trying war criminals. Only Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been able to set up a war crimes tribunal, otherwise we would not have been able to do it. The issue of genocide was suppressed for many years due to some quarters in Bangladesh."
The minister said the issue of war crimes and genocide has been raised through the efforts of the Prime Minister. Dhaka has continued its efforts to gain global recognition as March 25 as 'Bangladesh Genocide Day'.
He said the National Assembly of Bangladesh passed a resolution to commemorate March 25 as 'Genocide Day', which is not only glorious for the country, but also marks the beginning of the month-long liberation war. It was on this day that the Pakistani army and its allies launched the worst massacre in world history.
The Foreign Minister added that "Operation Searchlight" and the type of killings carried out throughout the war had a clear purpose to eliminate certain sections of society, especially those identified on the basis of religion, race and political beliefs.
Minister for Liberation War Affairs AQM Mozammel Haque addressed the seminar. Professor Gregory Stanton, Founder President of Genocide Watch, and Dr. Helen Jarvis, eminent genocide expert, presented separate keynote papers.
