15. Submission from Sujit Sen, Bangladesh
BRIEF
Caretaker Government of Bangladesh began very well to clean up the administration, which was brought to a bad repute by previous BNP Government, but soon lost direction and took upon itself much more than what it could realistically implement and far beyond its mandate. Although the CG promised to hold free and fair elections by end of December 2008, the political and electoral reforms taken up may be used as an excuse to further delay the elections helping the military to entrench in the administration. As delay in holding elections would not be helpful to larger political process, international community must pressure CG to conduct elections by due date or even be brought forward. Emergency regulations which have curtailed freedom of expression of individuals and political parties should be lifted at the earliest so that the political activities could resume in preparation for elections.
Current process of trial of corrupt politicians and fair trial: While some political fundamentalist parties like JEI have gone untouched, there are genuine doubts of judicial manipulations in case of some politicians. Doubts of credibility of judicial process arose because Supreme Court (SC) and High Court (HC) are acting on somewhat different and contradictory lines. Appellate Division of SC routinely overturned or stayed favourable verdicts given by HC in some important criminal cases. In-camera trials also suggest that process is not open and free of suspicion. However, trial of those corrupt politicians and businessmen against whom enough evidence has been gathered, should be expedited irrespective of party affiliations or family connections.
It was gratifying to note that CG's administration and security agencies have done much to bring down threat of terrorist organisations like JMB and Harkat-ul-Jehad Al-Islam (HUJI). The task, however, cannot be complete unless main collaborators in the previous Government who aided, abetted and supported these organisations, are also dealt with according to the law. Criminal cases such as attack of August 2004 on Sheikh Hasina and that on British High Commissioner in Bangladesh must be brought into fast track trial as per the law so that the evidence collected is not tampered or lost.
People of Bangladesh were cheated by some military rulers, who came to power after assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, by preventing trial of 1971 war criminals and reinstating these criminals into power circles. During Bangladesh war in 1971, a section sided with the oppressive Pakistani forces. These were the leaders of JEI, a fundamentalist party, which helped the then military dictators to organise a systematic cleansing of freedom fighters. In 1993 a Commission of eminent citizens under the leadership of poet Sufia Kamal was formed to investigate war crimes. This Commission subsequently published two probe reports on the activities of some 16 criminals and collaborators of Pakistani forces. As Dhaka newspaper reports have pointed out from the archives of the BD Government, further evidence can well be found to prove the fact that leaders of the JEI have been responsible for committing war crimes. These war criminals included current JEI leaders who have served as Ministers under the previous coalition Government. Whereas an adjudication of war criminals was seriously delayed by motivated political forces in the past decade, a broad range of social and political organisations are now demanding this outstanding issue be urgently resolved. This demand has also recently been voiced by Amnesty International General Secretary Irene Khan.
Growing Jehadism and nexus between Bangladeshi radical fundamentalists and Al-Qaida network have also given rise to apprehensions of stability in the country, which is generally a vibrant, intellectual and tolerant society. Links between Pakistani based terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and HUJI have seen radicalisation of the fundamentalist groups. Simultaneous serial bombings by HUJI in all districts of Bangladesh in 2006 only prove that left unchecked, same fate like that of Pakistan may be awaiting Bangladesh.
17 January 2008
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