During the country’s 1971 Liberation War Jamaat-e-Islami not only collaborated with the Pakistani occupation army, but also it became a part of the military government and the Pakistan army.
“Jamaat-e-Islami, is the key architect of the crimes against humanity committed, in territory of Bangladesh in 1971, in violation of customary international law,” the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) made the observation while delivering capital punishment on Jamaat leader Kamaruzzaman in connection with war crimes cases against him on Thursday. Citing example from the reports and some books regarding the Liberation War, the tribunal said, “It is now history based on old authoritative documents that chiefly it was Jamaat-e-Islami that played substantial role in formation of Al-Badar, Razakar, Al-Shams and Peace Committees and of course not with intent to guard the civilians and their property.”
“Al-Badr and Al-Shams allegedly acted as the Pakistan army’s death squads and “exterminated leading left wing professors, journalists, litterateurs, and even doctors,” the tribunal said.
The verdict said, “Jamaat-e-Islami could have played a role in preventing the commission of atrocities by exercising its control over their creation of Al-Badar, Razakars, Al-Shams, and Peace Committee. But instead of doing it , as an ‘organisation, Jamaat-e-Islam evidently appears to have substantially and consciously contributed especially to Al-Badar, its ‘fascist armed wing’ in carrying out dreadful criminal activities, in violation of customary international law, in 1971 during the war of liberation of Bangladesh.”
It is a fact that Al-Badar was an armed para militia force which was created for ‘operational’ and ‘static’ purpose of the Pakistani occupation army. Under the government management, Al-Badar and Razakars were provided with training and allocated fire arms.
“Pro-liberation civilians, intellectual group and Hindu community were also their key targets,” the tribunal noted.
“Jamaat-e-Islami with intent to provide support and assistance to the Pakistani occupation army formed armed Razakar and Al-Badar force and obtained government’s recognition for those para militia forces,” it added.
Peace Committees were also formed with the identical plan. Ghulam Azam the then Amir of Jamat-e-Islami and member of Central Peace Committee since the beginning of War of Liberation started appealing the Pakistan government for arming the people who believed in solidarity with Pakistan.
“Such approach on part of the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami together with the fact of appalling atrocities committed on innocent pro-liberation people offer an inevitable portrayal as to antagonistic, hostile and notorious role of Jamaat-e-Islami which stood against the whole Bengali nation and its war of liberation, in the name of preserving Pakistan,” the tribunal said.
-With The Independent input
