Bangladesh hanged two top opposition leaders on Sunday for alleged war crimes committed during 1971 conflict with Pakistan. Security was put on high alert in the country as fears of possible unrest grew. Opposition parties in Bangladesh also called for a strike to protest against the executions of Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury
Government policies can be blamed regarding what happened in Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) but giving punishments to people who fought for Pakistan doesn’t make any sense. In 1971 there was no state by the name of Bangladesh, back then whatever happened it happened in Pakistan if no cases were formed by the state then how can a state that was formed after the incidents start these cases.
In March 1972 when the Bangladesh Government decided to start cases against Pakistanis living there, four lac Bengali’s were living in Pakistan. Pakistan stopped all these people and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto vowed that if the Bangladesh Government will form cases against Pakistani’s living in Bangladesh then the same treatment will be handed out to the Bengali’s living in Pakistan because many of them were Government employees and they provided state secrets to the rebels, forming treason cases against these people wouldn’t have been a problem, but Pakistan didn’t take any such step.
Under what circumstance Bangladesh became the member of United Nation should also be considered, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto requested China to veto Bangladesh’s membership of UN as they want to form cases against Pakistanis. China vetoed the case of UN membership of Bangladesh, and after which an agreement was reached that no action will be taken against Pakistanis in Bangladesh. Considering these points the hangings in Bangladesh are nothing but a blatant violation of human rights.