I did not want to write on the topic just yet! But reading the news of killing of a blogger left little choice. Firstly my biggest frustration is lawlessness in Bangladesh and I believe the uprising of the youth in our country is also inspired by it. Since the movement has started I have had several arguments with many people from my wife to my best friend to my uncle a lot many people. From those discussions I know that what I am about to state will bring a lot of anger and confusion from its readers, but I firmly believe that it is needed.
Whatever I will state below would be an elaboration of my following statement -
I want capital punishment of War Criminals regardless of their political social identities. I want steps taken to ensure their ideals are destroyed; but probably in a slightly different and strategic then of what the current movement is exhibiting.
Murder, sexual assault, conspiracy or assistance to killings are crime that deserves capital punishment; if these happen in wartime, it is more important to serve justice for these crimes in order to setup a society driven by law and order. Before I further proceed I would like to stress something that we all probably know - these are capital punishable offense, even during wartime, according to Islam as well.
Now to a little bit on the activities of these criminals after the war of liberation. I do not understand why after the war of liberation was over the topic of war criminals trial waned, but I do believe that, certain quarters in politics thought that their contribution was larger than that of the Martyrs, victim of crimes against humanity; that is why, in continuation to it, we have debated for decades who had more contribution before 25th of March or who declared the independence of Bangladesh; the politicians freakishly toyed with the topic of independence; always ignoring the sacrifice of the people; insulting the Martyrs. These criminals immediately after war either left the country or took shelter with influential political figures. Somehow the trial of war criminals got undermined till 1975; I have no trace of a logical reason why it was postponed/stalled/delayed. After that the next regime was foolish enough to allow the most potent criminals to land back in our soil; the only rational for it is the regime bowed to pressure from middle-eastern countries. I say so because there is no trace of the regime leader being corrupt so that is the only sensible explanation; but none the less extremely disappointing action from a freedom fighter. The following regime was actually too busy with women and corruption that he had no time to think about war criminals! What a waste of freedom fighter. Then came the circus of the current political axis from 1991 to 2012 (and continuing); we have seen over and over both parties dining with these criminals in many ways -
- Allying during movement and coming to understanding during elections
- Taking established war criminals as in-laws and later ministers or advisers (in all the governments from 1991 till date)
- Forming alliance
So while our leaderships have been so impotent these criminals have been super smart! A big portion of them has established themselves as the carrier of Islam in Bangladesh, who we know as Bangladesh Jamaat Ismali; they sponsored the only student political party that is formed of proper students and the only party to provide proper education environments to educational institution they control - this party we know as Islami Chatra Shibir. The other faction, which though we do not realize or believe or understand is part of the major political and/or business community belonging to the main political factions - they are part of both the major parties. But since they are merely hiding their identities their implication on Bangladesh and its society is to large extent less. So my later discussion will concentrate on Jamaat and Shibir.
Most of the War Criminals after war of liberation had one clear goal and that is to establish themselves as "Good and Decent" people to their respective circles. What they have achieve through this is combined with the ideology of Islam they have formed huge loyal following of theirs; who support those figures they have seen after the war. Without knowing the exact details of the atrocities that these people have committed, they are idols to them. We keep wondering why Shibir is risking their life for these criminals; they are not risking their life for the criminals we are discussing; they are laying their lives for their leaders as they know. Recently I heard of a Shibir activist condemning his sister of joining the Shahbagh Movement claiming that she is siding with the people who wants to hang wise, good, aged people for no crime whatsoever! The person hearing the conversation asked me why this and I narrated what I wrote here. It is high time that we realize Shibir activist who are not war criminals are not our enemy, they are our kin; we need to get them back from the strayed path. Jamaat leaders and workers who have nothing to do with liberation war are not our enemy. What is our enemy is the Munafiq-i idology, the criminals.
So to me hanging these criminals is not the solution, not even beginning of the solution. How can someone who has killed, raped, pointed finger at who that a***ole wants dead be just hanged and done with. DEATH IS NOT A CAPITAL PUNISHMENT for them. Part of the capital punishment for them is (at the least) -
incarcerate them in a public place so that people can spit at them for the duration of their sentence.
Punishment of death to these people is not a punishment. Even though Parvez Musharraf apologised for war time atrocities these individuals even today have the audacity to breathe in Bangladesh and not ask forgiveness. Their capital punishment can only be to feel the hatred people have against the crime against humanity these people have conducted. I invite everyone to propose even stricter punishment for them.
If we want to hang them because certain political party would free them; we should invite all political parties to declare who wants to free them; then lets vote them to power and challenge them to release them. The political leaders mis-understood why people voted for them; actually people did not vote for them; in 2001 people voted against terrorism and in 2008 people voted against corruption BUT people had been against war criminals always.
Now that I have discussed one part of the capital punishment I want to focus on the other part. As important it is to punish these individuals it is even more critical to strategically work against their ideology. I know from personal experience these criminals have actively worked for all these years spreading their doctrines to their descendants and close associates and so on. We need to work against them and for that I want to see the following actions taken legislatively against any War Criminal regardless of the severity or length of the sentence -
- War criminals and their descendants cannot ever participate in any political activities or even cast vote. Descendants can if they disown their predecessor and all their inheritance.
- War criminals and their descendants cannot be eligible for public service, defense service. Descendants can if they disown their predecessor and all their inheritance.
- War criminals and their descendants cannot enjoy any government facility such as treatment in government hospitals, account or loan from government banks, education in any level of government institution. Descendants can if they disown their predecessor and all their inheritance.
- War criminals and their descendants has to be treated non-Bangladeshi and hence should be part of a special tax bracket both individually and their owned business. Descendants can if they disown their predecessor and all their inheritance. Even after disowning the descendants can not own share of business belonging to another war criminal family (this is to block transfer).
- Once a war criminal or any of their descendants leaves the country they will not be allowed to enter the country again. Descendants can if they disown their predecessor and all their inheritance.
Finally, I want to stress that there are more topics directly related but parallel in nature. There is a story of rape consistently in daily nationals for last month or so; there is news on murder, abduction too; there is news on how governments have been robbing us and using the court to legalize their actions. Our movement can not stop just here; we need to fight against these same or more intensely; so that criminals know, we the youth will bring, days of rule of law`and order back and complete the war of liberation started by our fathers in 1971,
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