Of commitment, of healing

Families of war crimes victims, campaigners and researchers have hailed the government for its commitment in bringing the perpetrators of 1971 to book and implementing the court verdicts against them.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday following the hanging of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed for war crimes, they said there had been tremendous national and international pressure to stop the war crimes trial that began in March 2010.

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Local political parties, international organisations and lobby groups made all-out efforts to obstruct the trial process and create confusions over the court proceedings, describing the war crimes tribunal as "very flawed," they added.

But overcoming all these obstructions, conspiracies and campaigns, the Awami League government in line with its electoral pledges went ahead with trying those who committed ruthless atrocities and also helped the Pakistani occupation forces butcher innocent civilians during the Liberation War, they observed.

Also, there was a huge popular demand for the trial, which gave the government an upper-hand to go ahead with the long overdue trial, they added.

"Today, when the family members see that two hated war criminals face the ultimate justice, it makes us cry with joy, satisfaction and a feeling of gratefulness to the country," said Nuzhat Chowdhury Shampa, daughter of martyred intellectual Alim Chowdhury.

She said it had been a long, cruel journey for the martyrs' families. All these years, they were not only deprived of justice, but they also had to see the killers of their loved ones become "president, prime minister, ministers and lawmakers of the country".

"Since the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, war criminals and people who opposed the Liberation War had been in power until 1996," she said.

"On behalf of the family members of the martyred, I would like to salute the honourable prime minister and her government for being so resolute to carry out this long overdue trial of the war criminals."

The war crimes trial has been through much difficulty. There has been vehement opposition from the beginning in efforts to stop the trial. Also, there have been attacks on citizens, prosecutors and witnesses and on the houses of judges dealing with war crimes cases.

Different international rights bodies questioned the trial process. Even, before the execution of the war criminals, these organisations and several countries, including the US, issued statements asking the government to halt the execution.

At a press conference in May last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself acknowledged that there had been such pressures from abroad, but vowed to continue the trial.

Things were no different in the cases of Jamaat leader Mojaheed and BNP leader Salauddin. Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has already faced legal proceedings in Bangladesh for making controversial remarks over the trial, had called upon the government to halt their execution.

Stephen Rapp, former US ambassador for war crimes, had also called upon the government to commute their sentences, and immediately place a moratorium on the imposition of the death sentences until there is full compliance with international law.

Shahriar Kabir, a veteran war crimes researcher, thinks that the trials of Salauddin and Mojaheed were most challenging since there has been a tremendous pressure from outer world, including the US and the Middle East.

"We have seen how Pakistan went out of the way and did everything to save Salauddin who was its most favoured man and served their purpose," he said.

Expressing his gratitude to Hasina, he said of all things she had done so far, trying the war criminals, especially Salauddin and Mojaheed, was the most successful one.

"She [Hasina] has proved that she has the courage," said Shahriar, also executive president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, which champions the war crimes trial.

Tureen Afroz, a prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, said the cases against Mojaheed and Salauddin were among the most challenging for some obvious reason.

As Mojaheed held a top post in Jamaat, the entire network of the party, both at home and abroad, was involved in lobbying against various aspects of the trial. On the other hand, Salauddin had strong international connections.

"So there was huge national and international pressure on the government, I guess," said Tureen.

Prafulla Kumar Sinha, whose father Natun Chandra Sinha was killed by Salauddin and Pakistan army men, said they are relieved of the agonising pain they had been in for the last 44 years.