by Dastagir Jahangir
In 1971, Bangladesh waged one of the most harrowing wars of independence the modern world has seen. An estimated 3 million people were killed, and 2 to 4 hundred thousand women were victims of sexual violence at the hands of the Pakistan military and their local collaborators — the Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams militias. Nearly 10 million refugees fled across the border into India, triggering one of the largest refugee crises in South Asian history.
These collaborators, the Razakars, were not merely passive bystanders; they were active participants in genocide, rape, torture, and the systematic elimination of Bangladesh’s intellectuals, particularly during the infamous December 14, 1971 intellectual massacre, just two days before victory.
After independence, Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took early steps to hold these war criminals accountable. But after his assassination in 1975, the process collapsed. It was only decades later, under Sheikh Hasina’s government, that the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was established in 2010, finally bringing several top war criminals to justice with death sentences and life imprisonments.
Today, that very foundation is shaking. The shocking acquittal of a Razakar who had been previously sentenced to death sends not just a legal message, but a devastating political one. It reveals how the regime change and the toppling of Sheikh Hasina’s government have systematically started reversing decades of justice, rehabilitating those who once collaborated with genocide.
This is not merely a political maneuver; it is an assault on the collective memory and moral fabric of the nation. To those still wondering why Sheikh Hasina was removed by conspiracy, this acquittal speaks volumes. It was not just about power — it was about dismantling the accountability that her government fought to establish, and rewriting the historical narrative of Bangladesh’s independence.
Let this editorial serve as a reminder: justice for the martyrs of 1971 is not optional. It is a national responsibility. To preserve the sacrifices of those who died, to honor the dignity of the women violated, and to ensure that future generations inherit a just and truthful Bangladesh — we must resist the return of impunity.
