Bangladesh conveys strong protest against the press release of Pakistan Foreign Office
DHAKA, Sept. 4 (NsNewsWire) — The Government of Bangladesh has conveyed its strong protest against the press release published in the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan on 3 September 2016 on the execution of Mir Quasem Ali, a convict of crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh.
The Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh Samina Mehtab was called today and Additional Foreign Secretary (B & C) Mr. Kamrul Ahsan handed over a note verbale to her.
In the Note Verbale it was stated that by repeatedly taking the side of those Bangladesh nationals who are convicted of crimes against humanity and genocide, Pakistan has once again acknowledged its direct involvement and complicity with the mass atrocity crimes committed during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971. So doing, it is also relentlessly opposing Bangladesh’s efforts to ensure justice and break the culture of impunity for the crimes committed forty five years ago.
The Government of Bangladesh strongly rejects Pakistan’s claim that these are ‘recriminations for political gains’. In fact, he was tried for specific crimes he committed during the war of liberation of Bangladesh. It was further stated that the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh (ICT-BD) trials took solely into consideration the crimes i.e. crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh committed by Mr. Ali during 1971 and was not at all based on his political identity or affiliation. The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Mir Quasem Ali to death for planning, instigating and executing genocide, murder, and torture among other crimes in Chittagong during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Further the note stated that Mr. Ali belonged to some opposing political party is only a coincidence as far as the trials are concerned. It was made clear to Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan that to the people of Bangladesh he was the General Secretary of Islami Chhatra Sangha in 1971, and also the third-in-command of the infamous Al Badr militia force in 1971 which not only co-operated with the Pakistani occupation force in committing various crimes against humanity including genocide but also masterminded the formation of Al-Badr Bahini which had gained particular notoriety for executing the prominent progressive Bengali intellectuals.
The Acting High Commissioner was reminded that Pakistan continues to present a misleading, limited and partial interpretation of the underlying premise of the Tripartite Agreement of April 1974 which is totally unacceptable to Bangladesh. The essential spirit of the Agreement was to create an environment of good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence for ushering in long term stability and shared prosperity in the region. The ‘clemency’ mentioned in the agreement never implied that the masterminds and perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide would continue to enjoy impunity and eschew the course of justice. The Tripartite Agreement in no way restricted Bangladesh from prosecuting its own nationals for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
She was also reminded that Pakistan had systematically failed in its obligation it owes to the people of Bangladesh and the international community to bring to justice, in compliance with relevant international norms and standards, those of its nationals identified and held responsible for committing mass atrocity crimes in 1971. The scope of the 1974 agreement was limited to repatriation of 195 Pakistani war criminals and remaining Pakistani prisoners of war, and the return of the Bangalis stranded inside Pakistan. The note strongly stated that in no way the 1974 Agreement had given clemency to the Bangladeshi war criminals, including the members of razakar, al badr, al shams. Even after the 1974 agreement until the end of 1975, a large number of Bangladeshi war criminals were in different jails of Bangladesh facing trials, and Pakistan had never expressed its concerns by relating those trials with 1974 Agreement. Those criminals were released only after the brutal murder of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. Repeated misquoting of the provisions of Tripartite Agreement of 1974 and its misinterpretation is totally unacceptable.
Mentioning that the wounds and trauma inflicted in Bangladesh’s national psyche by those crimes, the note stated that this can be healed and put behind only through ensuring justice as Bangladesh continues with its onward march. By opposing the ICT-BD verdicts and the executions, Pakistan has blatantly dishonoured the sentiment of the people of Bangladesh and the spirit of the Liberation War of 1971, which are the basic premise of Bangladesh’s nationhood.
Given the state of judiciary in Pakistan, the note said that they do not have the moral right even to assess the independent judiciary of another country let alone making biased, flawed and unfounded comments. It only reflects their disregard for the sanctity of judiciary of another country, which nonetheless does not surprise the world. It is also sheer travesty that Pakistan is judging the practice of democracy and rule of law of another country, when it’s past record and present state of affairs including human rights situation is a fallacy to the rest of the world, the note added.
In the note, the Government of Bangladesh deeply regrets that despite Bangladesh’s repeated overtures, the malicious campaign by Pakistan against the trials of the crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh is continuing. This is an impediment to the bilateral relations.
The Acting High Commissioner was told to take serious note of the points raised by Bangladesh and bring those to the attention of the competent authorities in Pakistan. The Government of Bangladesh expected that the quarters/authorities in Pakistan would act responsibly and would refrain from continuing such uncalled for statements.