The worst ever human rights violation took place in the contemporary history of the world when the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated with most of the members of his family in August 1975 in a military coup. And the human rights were further violated when the trial of those killers, who had been granted impunity and shelter in America and Europe, was prohibited by the BNP government of General Ziaur Rahman in 1979.
During the military rule of General Ziaur Rahman, from November 1975 to May 31 1981, several hundred army men were killed by staging drama of coup in the army to perpetuate military rule and hundreds of civilians were abducted and killed by his armed men. The family members of those deceased army officers are still knocking at doors for justice. Thus the maxim of human rights was as though crying in the wilderness.
Incidents of human rights violation happened once again in Bangladesh in 2001 when Bangladesh Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina peacefully handed over power to BNP. Soon after taking over, BNP government of Khaleda Zia, widow of General Zia, had started a nationwide vandalism. The activists of the then main opposition party and the members of the minority groups came under violent attack. The BNP armed activists had killed thousands of opposition activists and they set ablaze the houses of the minority groups. The daughters were raped in presence of the father. A reign of terror was let loose by the BNP government. Human rights were dragged down on the street. Report about this human right violation is still available in the US annual report.
The worst heinous act of mass killing was staged by BNP sponsored grenade attack on a peace rally of opposition leader Sheikh Hasina now Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 21 August, 2004.
In retrospection, we still remember the horror of genocide conducted by the Pakistan Army and some people, who had been engaged in killing even their teachers and were helping Pakistan army during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. Those killers are still enjoying life in America and the UK with all facilities. How the peace-loving people of the world could help those criminals (war criminals)? And when those war criminals, who had committed crime against humanity, were put under trial by the international crimes tribunal, the BNP was vehemently opposing the formation of the tribunal. They openly sided with those war criminals. Moreover, some important personalities of the world requested for their impunity.
The most interesting aspect is that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose founder General Ziaur Rahman, who gave indemnity a legal status in parliament and earlier before that in 1975 as deputy chief of army, General Zia had encouraged the killers without bringing them in army court when the killers placed their blueprint for the killing of the Father of the Nation who brought us our most precious independence with his life-long struggle. Now General Zia’s BNP is clamoring about human rights in Bangladesh. It is still in memory of the people of Bangladesh that getting state power in hand in 2001, the BNP, which with some partisan human rights groups, was out to sacrifice their lives for protecting human rights in Bangladesh, waged a nationwide vandalism against the leaders and activists of the opponent political parties and the members of minority groups. They had burnt houses and property of the opponents. They killed innocent people who they thought they cast their votes against BNP had killed them mercilessly. Even their houses and business establishments were set ablaze. Daughter was raped in front of father after killing the brother like the Pakistan Army did during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The BNP government’s atrocities during its tenure from 2001 to 2005 are still available in the UN Human Rights and the US State Department annual report.
The grenade attack, which claimed lives of dozens of innocent people including the wife of former president and Awami League leader Ivy Rahman and injured scores of people, was designed to kill the entire leadership of the main opposition political party Awami League led by the present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Is not the grenade attack in a broad day light on a peace rally human right violation? It is not difficult to understand that the BNP is crying to cover their heinous crime against the humanity.
It should be taken into consideration that just after the three and half years the anti-liberation forces, who had been engaged in fighting against the freedom fighters of Bangladesh in nexus with Pakistani occupation army during the Liberation War of Bangladesh and who assassinated the country’s founder in 1975, are still active under the BNP and other religion-based political parties. They are still engaged in hatching conspiracy at home and abroad and they are misleading the international community including US Treasury Department. The RAB was formed by the BNP and it is still continuing as because of increasing terror attack by the Islamist Activists and the recent Holy Artisan incident which claimed lives of 22 people including some foreigners. After that incident the RAB and other forces are active so that the second attack by the terrorist didn’t occur. Moreover, for every operation there is a magistrate to decide the wrong doing. The RAB alone can’t take decisions.
For discussion’s sake the question should be arisen that human rights should be ensured for all, the criminals should not get more protection than the innocent people. It should be kept in mind that some criminals can be set free, but not a single innocent person should be deprived of human rights.
The reality is when the armed forces go to arrest the criminals and the terrors, certainly the terrors would not and usually do not welcome the law enforcement agencies with flowers rather they use bullets. It is known to all that the world is in turmoil due to the recurring terror attack in different places in the world including Bangladesh.
It is not difficult to understand that the BNP is playing the role of a patron of the Islamic Extremist in Bangladesh. The extremists feel comfort when the BNP led religious coalition come to power in Bangladesh. The real irony is that when the people who were against the concept of the secular ideals upon which the Independent Bangladesh was founded, are creating confusion about the human right and are getting patient hearing killing the valuable time of the people who have been entrusted to do something good for the mankind.
The people concerned can give patient hearing to them, but they would not forget to take a short sketch of their past activities and are engaged in creating hindrance to the path of establishing peace, liberty, democracy, and human rights.
Before taking the human rights report by the so called rights groups, the agencies should take into consideration that Bangladesh was created in a bloody War of Liberation and there were two sides; one was fighting for country’s independence and the other was also fighting with the help of Pakistani occupation army. Pakistan army was defeated and the freedom fighters who fought for the independence of the country won victory on the 16th December, 1971. Because of general amnesty, those defeated forces are still active and under the BNP banner they and their posterity continue to fight against the people of Bangladesh.