In 1971, amid the tumult of the Liberation War, as the Pakistan army unleashed a campaign of terror—slaughtering millions, ravaging villages in their hunt for freedom fighters, and committing the rape of 20,000 women—it was the leaders and members of Jamaat-e-Islami who mounted a vigorous effort to quell the burgeoning independence movement and shield the perpetrators of these heinous war crimes. Acting as the principal accomplices to the Pakistan army, Jamaat's strategy to undermine and deceive the public about the noble quest for autonomy was as shocking as the scale of the carnage being perpetrated.
In stark opposition to the "Joy Bangla" slogan championed by freedom fighters, these war criminals propagated "Long Live Pakistan", vilifying all proponents of freedom, including war heroes and the Awami League leadership, as "enemies of Islam" and "criminals", while vehemently defending the actions of the Pakistan army. Leaders and members of Jamaat, along with their cohorts in Al-Badr and Al-Shams, colluded with the Pakistan military in acts of war crimes, aiming to extinguish the aspirations of liberty as envisioned by Awami League leader, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Contrary to the fate of the Nazis, who were held accountable at the Nuremberg Trials, the war criminals affiliated with Jamaat were instead empowered and given free rein after Bangladesh's independence, especially after the tragic assassination of the Father of the Nation and most of his family in 1975. They found patronage under military dictator Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, and subsequently under his widow and son. The latter, despite evading justice, continues to run the party from the UK.
Five decades on, as the nation commemorated March 25, demanding international acknowledgment of the 1971 genocide, BNP leaders reignited national outrage by hosting the Ameer (President) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at an event orchestrated by Tarique Rahman loyalists, according to media reports. The Ameer's vow at this gathering of "Let us continue to fight unitedly… we will win" underscores the enduring and deep-seated alliance between BNP and Jamaat.
This declaration of mutual support mirrored earlier instances, such as before the national election when Tarique solicited Jamaat's backing from London to disrupt the polls. Prior to the election, both parties collaborated to instigate violence against law enforcement and voters, aiming to seize power undemocratically under the guise of championing democracy.
The aftermath of independence saw the rise of violent extremism, particularly by Islami Chhatra Shibir, targeting leaders of the Chhatra League and engendering a culture of militancy within educational institutions, accompanied by a proliferation of hate speech online. I personally suffered an attack and mourn the loss of my junior, Arif Raihan Dweep, who was fatally stabbed in BUET, along with countless others who fell victim to Shibir's brutality on campuses, simply for their association with BCL.
As calls for the acknowledgment of war crimes grow louder, BNP's unabashed support for Jamaat is evident. Their collective failure to denounce the atrocities committed by the Pakistan army and their collaborators highlights BNP's endorsement of impunity for one of history's gravest genocides. Both parties have voiced concerns over the country's human rights situation, yet remain conspicuously silent on the 1971 genocide orchestrated by Jamaat.
This persistent silence and support for impunity raises a pressing question: Is there any precedent in the world where groups comprised of war criminals are permitted to participate in politics, sometimes even hailed by foreign entities as "essential for democracy"? As the shadow of the Liberation War looms large over Bangladesh, the reconciliation with its past remains a crucial step toward justice and democratic integrity.
The writer is coordinator, Awami League Web Team. Views expressed in this article are his own.