International recognition of the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh is urgently needed, according to speakers at a seminar in Dhaka.
The seminar titled ‘International Recognition of Bangladesh Genocide 1971: Western World’s Silence on the Largest Genocide since World War II’ was organised by the Sector Commanders Forum—Muktijudda 71 and took place at the National Press Club on Saturday.
The Liberation War Museum’s trustee, Mofidul Hoque, emphasised that although there is a wealth of evidence supporting the genocide, it is not adequately presented on a global scale. In order to promote wider recognition, he emphasised the significance of translating testimony and supporting documentation into English or another international language.
The Sector Commanders Forum’s Secretary General, Harun Habib, emphasised the need for the genocide to be recognised internationally in order to establish historical accuracy and hold Pakistan and its army responsible. In order to penalise those who deny the genocide, he suggested passing a “Genocide Denial Act.”
The director of Dhaka University’s Centre for Genocide Studies, Professor Hafizur Rahman, bemoaned the Western world’s lack of acknowledgement of the genocide of 1971 and emphasised the necessity of a plan to secure international recognition, putting a 10- to 15-year timeframe on this endeavour.
The BRAC University Centre for Peace and Justice’s Director of Research, M. Sanjeeb Hossain, emphasised the lack of academic papers outlining the reasons the atrocities of 1971 meet the criteria for genocide under international law. Before requesting international recognition, he urged the government to present a justification for the genocide.
The forum’s vice president, M. Hamid, stressed in his speech the significance of recognising the genocide. During the seminar, other speakers, including former ambassador Kamaluddin, former Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque and former ambassador Munsi Faiz Ahmed, expressed their opinions on the issue.