A delegation from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami met with the United Nations Human Rights Commission team at the UN office in Gulshan on August 29. The UN team had invited them as part of their investigation into incidents of genocide in Bangladesh.
The Jamaat delegation included party’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar, and Jamaat’s Central media and Publicity secretary Matiur Rahman Akanda.
After the meeting, Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher briefed the waiting journalists. He stated, "A historic transformation took place in Bangladesh on August 5 through the uprising of the students and the general masses. The people of Bangladesh have regained their freedom in a new way. During this mass revolution, the ousted government carried out killings, oppression, and persecution. At the request of the current interim government, the UN Human Rights Commission has sent a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh. They are holding discussions with various groups and parties and will leave by Saturday. They also invited Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and we have discussed several issues with them today. This is a primary fact-finding mission, and the main team will arrive later."
He further said, "The team wanted to know about the various atrocities and killings carried out by the past autocratic government against the people of this country. We provided them with information. The Awami government was in power from 1972 to 1975 and killed around 30,000 people during that time. After coming to power in 2009, they were involved with the killings of 57 military officers in the BDR incident. The same oppressive and isolated government was responsible for this massacre. We also informed them about the mass killing of Hefazat-e-Islam activists at Shapla Chattar in 2013. Finally, we briefed them on the indiscriminate killings carried out to suppress the great student-people uprising. At that time, helicopters fired at ordinary students and citizens, as if they were engaged in a battle with foreign forces. The country’s law enforcement agencies committed an unprecedented massacre against their own people. Innocent civilians, including infants as young as one and a half years old to elderly individuals, were brutally killed. We described this as genocide and called for justice by officially recognizing it as such."
Dr. Taher urged the formation of a special tribunal for justice. He suggested amending certain laws of the International Crimes Tribunal to establish a "Crimes Against Humanity Tribunal" that would ensure a proper investigation and fair trial. He requested the UN’s assistance in this regard.
He further stated, "The UN team expressed their sorrow over these killings. They mentioned that they are here to gather information and are holding discussions with various groups. They will compile a report based on the facts and later provide assistance in the judicial process, including legal reforms and expert consultations. They assured full cooperation with the Bangladesh government."
In response to a question, he said, "The main UN team will arrive next month. They will engage in technical discussions with the government, initiate investigations, and assist in ensuring justice. We have urged them to start the judicial process as soon as possible and also to ensure transparency. If necessary, the current laws should be amended based on the opinions of the experts.
The UN delegation was led by Rory Mungoven, Head of the Asia-Pacific Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Other members of the delegation included Livia Cosenza and Alexander James Amir Al-Jungdi, human rights officers from the Asia-Pacific Section.
