On this date, February 5, 2013, the
Shahbag Protest began in Bangladesh. We, the comrades of Unit 1012, will post
information about this event from Wikipedia and we will explain the lessons we
can learn from this protest.
Protest against the war criminals in Shahbagh
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Date
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February
2013
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Location
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Bangladesh
(began at Shahbagh Square, Dhaka)
23°44′18″N 90°23′45″ECoordinates: 23°44′18″N 90°23′45″E |
Goals
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Methods
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The 2013 Shahbag protests,
associated with a central neighbourhood of Dhaka, Bangladesh, began on 5
February 2013 and later spread to other parts of Bangladesh, as people demanded
capital punishment for Abdul Quader Mollah, who had been sentenced to life
imprisonment, and for others convicted of war crimes by the International
Crimes Tribunal. On that day, the International Crimes Tribunal had sentenced
Abdul Quader Mollah to life in prison after he was convicted on five of six
counts of war crimes. Later demands included banning the Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami party from politics and a boycott of institutions supporting
(or affiliated with) the party.
Protesters considered Mollah's
sentence too lenient, given his crimes. Bloggers and online activists called
for additional protests at Shahbag. Tens of thousands of people joined the
demonstration, which gave rise to protests across the country. By mid-April,
their numbers had declined, and the original protest site is now clear.
A counter-protest, demanding release
of those accused and convicted, was launched by Jamaat-e-Islami as its leaders
were the majority of those first identified for trial. The Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) initially expressed its support for Jamaat-e-Islami, a
principal political ally. But, the BNP cautiously welcomed the Shahbag protest,
while warning the government not to make political mileage from a movement
demanding capital punishment for war criminals.
During the protests, Ahmed Rajib
Haider, a pro-Shahbag blogger, was brutally killed outside his house by
machete-wielding youth. On 2 March, five Jamaat-Shibir activists were arrested;
they 'confessed' involvement in Rajib's killing, though independent
verification and investigation is not possible at this stage. On 27 February
2013, the tribunal convicted Delwar Hossain Sayeedi of war crimes and sentenced
him to death. Jamaat followers protested and there were violent clashes with
police. About 60 people were killed in the confrontations; most were
Jamaat-Shibir activists, and others were police and civilians.
Queen's University students express Solidarity with Shahbag Protest 2013. |
Historical context
See also: 1971 Bangladesh atrocities and Razakars (Bangladesh)
In 1971
Bangladesh was the portion of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan known as East
Pakistan. In the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, East
Pakistan fought West Pakistan for nine months. During this period the
Indian
Army which provided guerrilla training to freedom fighters of Mukti
Bahini, joined the war on 3 December 1971 in support of the liberation of East
Pakistan. Armed conflict ended on 16 December 1971 through surrender of the
Pakistani Armed Forces to India, resulting in the formation of the People's
Republic of Bangladesh as a free, secular and independent state.
According
to the famous Blood telegram from the United States consulate in Dacca
to the State Department, many atrocities had been committed by the Pakistan
Army and its supporter Razakars and Al-Badar militia. Time
reported a high-ranking US official as saying, "It is the most incredible,
calculated killing since the days of the Nazis in Poland." Estimates are that
one to three million people were killed, nearly a quarter of a million
women were raped and more than ten million people fled to India to escape
persecution.
A
paramilitary force known as the Razakars was created by the May 1971 Razakar
Ordinance promulgated by Tikka Khan, the governor of East Pakistan. The ordinance
stipulated the creation of a volunteer force, trained and equipped by the
provincial government. Razakar (Bengali:
রাজাকার) comes from رضاکار (razākār,
the Urdu word for
"volunteer"). However, it became a derogatory term in the Bengali
language due to the widespread killings of civilians and atrocities committed
by the paramilitary during the war. The war criminals, mostly young men, were
never brought to trial, since Bangladesh needed to bargain with Pakistan for
the return of 200,000 Bengalis stranded in Pakistan at the end of the war.
The
majority of East Pakistanis supported the call to create a free and independent
Bangladesh during the Liberation War. A small number of Pakistani supporters
and members of fundamentalist political parties, particularly Jamaat-e-Islami
(JEI) and its student wing Islami Chatra Sangha (ICS, Bengali:
ইসলামী ছাত্র সঙ্ঘ Islami Chhatro Shônggho),
the Muslim League, the Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) Council and
Nejam-e-Islami, collaborated with the Pakistani army to resist the formation of
an independent Bangladesh. The students belonging to Islami Chatra Sangha were
known as the Al-Badr
force; people belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim League, Nizam-e-Islami and
similar groups were called Al-Shams, and the Urdu-speaking people
(generally known as Bihari) were known as Al-Mujahid.
Old High Court Building, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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International
Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of 2010
Since 2000,
there has been an increasing demand in Bangladesh for justice related to war
crimes committed during the 1971 struggle; the issue was central to the 2008
general election. The Awami League-led, 14-party Grand
Alliance included this issue in its election manifesto. Its rival,
four-party alliance (which included the BNP
and Jamaat-e-Islami)
had several leaders alleged to have committed war crimes. The former freedom
fighters and sector commanders of the liberation war pleaded with the public
not to vote for alleged war criminals in the election.
The Grand
Alliance won the election (held on 29 December 2008) with a two-thirds
majority, based in part on its promise to prosecute alleged war criminals. On
29 January 2009 the new Parliament unanimously passed a resolution to prosecute
war criminals. The government intended to use the 1973 law: the International
Crimes (Tribunals) Act. The government worked to amend the law, updating it and
incorporating other nations' experience. The amendments provided for the trial
of individuals and political parties that had worked against the liberation of
Bangladesh. The government was empowered to appeal tribunal decisions.
On 25 March
2010, the Awami-led government announced the formation of a three-member
tribunal, a seven-member investigation agency, and a twelve-member prosecution
team to conduct the trials under the ICT Act 1973. The panel of three judges included
Fazle Kabir and Zahir Ahmed, with Mohammed Nizamul Huq as chairman. Abdul
Matin, Abdur Rahim, Kutubur Rahman, Shamsul Arefin, Mir Shahidul Islam, Nurul Islam
and M. Abdur Razzak Khan were appointed to assist the state prosecutors. Golam
Arif Tipu was named Chief Prosecutor. Others prosecutors were Syed Rezaur
Rahman, Golam Hasnayen, Rana Das Gupta, Zahirul Huq, Nurul Islam Sujan, Syed
Haider Ali, Khandaker Abdul Mannan, Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Ziad Al-Malum,
Sanjida Khanom and Sultan Mahmud Semon.
Association of Bangladeshi Students and
Scholars @ Texas Tech University showing solidarity with Shahbag protesters
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Verdicts
A formal
charge was filed by the prosecution against Abdul Quader Mollah on 18
December 2011. He was charged with:
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The Pallab murder
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Killing pro-liberation poet Meherunnesa, her mother
and two brothers
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The Khandoker Abu Taleb killing
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The Ghatar Char and Bhawal Khan Bari killings
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The Alubdi mass killing (344 people)
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The rape and murder of Hazrat Ali and his family
On 5
February 2013, the ICT found Mollah guilty of crimes against humanity. He was
sentenced to life imprisonment for the Alubdi and Ali killings and 15 years
each for the Pallab, Meherunnesa and Taleb murders. The day before the verdict
was announced, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamist political party (of
which Mollah is a leader), announced a nationwide dawn-to-dusk general strike
for 5 February in protest of their leader's conviction.
Many
citizens (especially young people) were outraged that, given his crimes, Mollah
was sentenced to life imprisonment rather than death. The verdict was
criticised in social media, and a peaceful demonstration began at Shahbagh
Square in Dhaka.
Protesters' demands
Over
several days, protesters increased their demands, asking for:
·
Death penalty for Mollah
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Death sentence for those convicted of war crimes by
the International War Crimes Tribunal
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A ban of Jamaat from Bangladeshi politics
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A boycott of Jamaat institutions
Oath
of Shahbag Square movement
We swear an oath that the leadership of the mass of people from the Gonojagaran Mancha (National Awakening Stage) will continue the movement from Teknaf to Tetulia until capital punishment is handed down to those Razakar and Al-Badr members who committed crimes against humanity like mass killing and rape in 1971. We take the oath that we will remain vocal, both on the streets and online, until the politics of the war criminals, Jamaat and Shibir, is banned and the citizenship of their members cancelled. We further take the oath that we will continue this demonstration and keep demanding trials, under a special tribunal, of those Razakars and Al-Badr activists who were convicted, and under trial, but freed after 1975. We swear that we will boycott the war criminals' business entities – Islami Bank, Ibn Sina, Focus, Retina and various other coaching centres. We know through these they collect money to continue with their anti-liberation activities. We will also boycott the academic and cultural organisations through which they are spreading anti-liberation sentiments among the children. In brief, we will work for banning all the business, social and cultural organisations belonging to Razakars and Al-Badr activists. We swear that we will continue with our demand for stringent punishment of Jamaat and Shibir, who have committed crimes of sedition by threatening civil war, after making their immediate arrest by recognising them through video footage of news and newspaper pictures. We swear that we will boycott war criminals' mass media like Diganta Television, Daily Naya Diganta, Amar Desh, The Daily Sangram, Sonar Bangla Blog. We will not subscribe to the newspapers of the war criminals at any office or house. At the same time, we request the pro-liberation mass media to boycott the war criminals and their accomplices.
Development
See also: Timeline of the 2013 Shahbag
protests
Origins
Protest began right after the verdict
was announced. Student organisations started the protest immediately after the
Judgement in the Shahbag square that was the actual call for people to gather
in the Shahbag square within half an hour of the Judgement. It took half an
hour to spread out the call for protest through different social media and
later the satellite TV channels. BOAN and some other social and cultural
organisations called for different programmes in the same venue who later
worked together. Demonstrators gathered at Shahbag Circle (or Projonmo
Chottor); they painted murals on the road, drew cartoons, hanged effigies
of war-crimes suspects and chanted slogans, with a vow to continue
demonstrating until their demands were met.
On 7 February, demonstrations began at
8 am. Thousands of people gathered with banners, posters, Bangladeshi flags and
placards in Shahbag with their demands. On Friday afternoon, a mass rally was
held at Shahbag with an estimated attendance of more than 100,000.
On 12 February, protesters observed
three minutes of silence at 4 pm at Shahbag and all across Bangladesh.
In Dhaka, traffic was stopped as thousands of people took to the streets,
formed human chains and stood in silence. A Bangladesh Premier League game at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium
halted for three minutes, as players and supporters observed the silence.
Parliamentarians and the police also joined the protest. Bengali singer Kabir Suman
wrote a song entitled "Tin Minit" ("Three Minutes")
in honour of the silent protest.
Further
developments
On 21 February, International Mother Language Day,
the number of protesters reached a new high. Its leadership declared 26 March
2013, the Independence Day of Bangladesh, as the deadline for the government to
ban Jamaat-e-Islami from politics.
The government did not ban
Jamaat-e-Islam from politics after the deadline was over. Seven protesters
calling themselves the Shaheed Rumi Squad began a fast until death on 26
March at 10:30 pm in front of the National Museum, protesting "inadequate
government action" to ban Jamaat in response to the Shahbagh protesters'
ultimatum. The fasters said at a press briefing that they would send an open
letter to Prime Minister Hasina during the 100th hour of their protests. More
than 100 organisations expressed solidarity with the hunger strikers.
Sentencing
of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi
See also: 2013 Bangladesh riots and 2013 Bangladesh Anti-Hindu violence
On 28 February the International
Crimes Tribunal sentenced Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, Nayeb-e-Ameer
(vice-president) of Jamaat-e-Islami, to death for
convictions on 8 out of 20 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity
committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The protesters celebrated
the sentence. "This verdict is a victory for the people", declared
spokes person of the organizers Imran H. Sarker. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam
said, "It's a victory day, it's a day of joy. Through this verdict, the
nation is seeing the resurgence of liberation war spirits." Sayeedi was
the most senior official convicted by the tribunal, and the third person
overall.
Counter-demonstrations
Jamaat followers were enraged by the
decision, claiming that the case against Sayeedi was politically motivated. His
lawyer, Abdur Razzaq, accused authorities of preventing a key witness from
testifying and intentionally slanting the process. "This is a perverse
judgment. It is inconceivable that a court of law awarded him a conviction.
This prosecution was for a political purpose", Razzaq said. Jamaat quickly
called for a nationwide two-day strike, to start on 3 March. By afternoon,
violence led by Jamaat-e-Islami supporters had erupted across Bangladesh.
"The Jamaat-e-Islami is fighting for its political survival", said a
spokesperson. By the end of the day thirty-five people were dead, including
three police officers; an additional eight hundred were injured. According to
the BBC, it marked "the worst day of political violence in Bangladesh in
decades".
Clashes between police and
Jamaat-e-Islami workers continued on 1 March, spreading to the northern
districts of Gaibandha and Chapai Nawabganj. Opposition leader Khaleda Zia
criticised government "brutality" and Jamaat called for a
demonstration in the capital, Dhaka. Security measures were increased to
prevent the situation from escalating. The death toll rose to forty-four
(including six policemen). Former prime minister and BNP member Khaleda Zia
declared a nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal for 5 March, and called for
countrywide rallies on 2 March to protest what she called government
corruption, misrule, oppression, and "mass killings".
Violent conflict continued on 2 March,
with another four deaths and hundreds of injuries. In Chittangong district
police opened fire on Jamaat-e-Islami protesters, leading to three deaths. In
Nilphamari, a young person died in a clash between protestors and police.
On 3 March, violence continued as the
Jamaat-organized strike began. In Bogra Jamaat supporters attacked police
outposts with sticks and homemade bombs, leading to at least eight deaths. In Godagari two deaths were reported in
a similar incident, and three deaths were reported in the Joypurhat
district. Violence continued in Chittangong as well, where Jamaat claimed that
police opened fire without provocation. The government denied the charge,
saying that violence against citizens and police would not be tolerated; three
deaths were reported. "People in the street are very, very afraid of
Jamaat-e-Islam. I am scared", reported an eyewitness in Dhaka. Jamaat
supporters singled out Hindu citizens, attacked their homes in many parts of
the country, and torched Hindu temples. More than 40 temples and many statues
were destroyed and scores of houses set ablaze, leaving hundreds of people
homeless throughout the country.
Amnesty International has urged the
Bangladeshi government to provide better protection for minority Hindus. Abbas
Faiz, the organisation's Bangladesh researcher, has noted that the attacks on the Hindu community
were predicted and it was shocking that people were attacked because of their
religion. Attacks on Hindu communities had been widespread during the 1971 war.
On 5 May, Hefazot-e-Islam protesters, aided by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its youth
wing Chatra Shibir, did violent protest activities in Dhaka that
included arson, vandalism and burning of books. The protesters from
Hifazat-e-Islam fought with police. Later, the government indicated an official
death toll of 11. However, a grave digger said he had counted 14 bodies with
beards.
Chittagong Press Club, while the movement
demanding Capital punishment of the convicted war criminals was running.
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Reactions
Domestic
response
The Shahbag protest has attracted
people from all social strata to its cause. The Shahbag intersection at the
center of the protests has been referred to as "Generation Circle" (Bengali: প্রজন্ম চত্ত্বর Projônmo Chôttor) or "Shahbag
Square", in a nod to the events which unfolded in Tahrir Square, Cairo.
The protest spread from Shahbag to other parts of the country, with sit-ins and
demonstrations in Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Comilla, Bogra, Narayanganj, Sunamganj, Noakhali and Narsingdi.
A participant, Amiruddin Ahmed
remarked, "After coming here I have realised that the national flag is
secure at the hands of our children". Members of the 1971 "Golden
Generation" found fresh inspiration in Projônmo Chôttor. Writer Muhammed Zafar
Iqbal, noting the large youth participation, said, "I am here
to offer my apology to you. I wrote in newspapers that the new generation only
hits 'Like' on Facebook and writes on blogs, but does not take to the streets.
You have proved me wrong and I thank you all for this". Dhaka University
Vice-Chancellor Arefin Siddique said, "Today is a movement to make the
country free from razakars. The country needs to be freed from razakars '
hands. Capital punishment of the razakars is a demand of the country's
160 million people. Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor M. Anwar Hossain said, "The people of
Bangladesh have rejected the verdict. At Projonmo Chottor, we join our hands to
make a clear statement, to give a call to all countrymen to unite and oust the
anti-liberation forces from the soil".
Political
response
State Minister for Law, Quamrul Islam,
said that the verdict against Abdul Quader Mollah could have been different if
people had taken to the streets sooner. The government is planning to file
appeals with the Supreme Court contesting the sentence for Mollah. On 11
February the Cabinet approved proposed amendments to the International Crimes
(Tribunals) Act 1973, introducing a provision for plaintiffs to appeal verdicts
handed down by the tribunal. This amendment, if passed, would enable the state
to appeal Mollah's life sentence.
Jamaat-e-Islami, which was already
staging protests against the impending trial of its leaders, called for a general
strike. Jamaat continues to demand that the international war crimes
tribunal be stopped and its party leaders freed. Jamaat supporters had staged
nationwide demonstrations with increasing frequency from November 2012 to
February 2013, demanding the release of its leaders. Actions included firing
gunshots, smashing and setting fire to vehicles and detonating homemade bombs.
Violence was targeted at police stationed in the capital, Dhaka, and major
cities such as Rajshahi, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Rangpur, Dinajpur
and Khulna. Several Jamaat-Shibir activists were arrested during the strikes
and confrontations with police.
The Bangladeshi community in Stuttgart,
Germany express their solidarity with the Shahbag Protest 2013 in Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
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Reaction
from Bangladeshis abroad
Bangladeshis abroad have expressed
solidarity with the protestors through social media websites Facebook and
Twitter. Demonstrations of solidarity have also taken place in Australia, Malaysia,
Thailand, Germany, and the United States.
Bangladeshis in New York City joined
in a symbolic protest on 9 February at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights. A
mass sit-in was organised by the Bangladeshi community in Sydney on 10 February
at the International Mother Language Monument in Sydney Ashfield Park. At a
rally at the Angel Statue in Melbourne, demonstrators signed a petition to
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina demanding death for war criminals.
Bangladeshis in Taiwan also expressed their solidarity with the Shahbag
protests on 10 February.
On 10 February, Bangladeshi students
gathered at Rutgers University in New Jersey to express solidarity with the
Shahbag protests. Bangladeshi residents joined the students to express their
support. Bangladeshi students at the University of Delaware and nearby
residents demonstrated their solidarity with the Shahbag movement on 15
February at a busy intersection in Newark, Delaware. A candlelight vigil was
held that evening for Rajib, a blogger and activist who was killed several
hours before the demonstration.
In London, protesters at Altab Ali
Park in solidarity for Shahbag were attacked by Jamaat-e-Islami supporters.
Protests are held at the park every week by both sides.
International
response
On 18 February British Foreign Office
minister Sayeeda Warsi hailed the Shahbagh Square protests, describing them as
peaceful, productive and non-violent. An article in the Fletcher Forum of
World Affairs by Suzannah Linton on 27 February expressed concern about
"bloodlust in Bangladesh" and called on the international community
to steer the process towards international standards.
Media coverage
Domestic
While most media outlets followed the
protests from the start, some pro-Jamaat-e-Islami news outlets reported them as
a "well-orchestrated play made by the government". In Sreemangal, Moulvibazar
cable operators in solidarity with the protests have stopped broadcasting the
pro-Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami television channel Diganta Television.
International
The BBC, CNN, Yahoo! News, Reuters, Al Jazeera,
The New York Times, The
Independentand others have published stories on the protests; BBC Bangla
has been closely following the events. Reuters photographer Andrew Biraj
published "live" photos of mass demonstrations at Shahbag.
Social
media
Facebook
Facebook, the most popular
social-networking site in Bangladesh, has played an important role in spreading
news worldwide about events at Shahbag. A Facebook event was created calling
for a protest at Shahbag; the human chain which went viral on 5 February 2013.
Facebook continues to be the main source of information about Shahbag protests.
Twitter
Bangladeshis used the Twitter hashtag
#shahbag to provide live updates of the movement.
Protest against court's delay
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Placards with demands
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Candlelight vigil
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Mass Signature For Maximum Punishment at
ShahBag Protest 2013.
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Displaying shoes war criminals
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Outcome
The demonstration put pressure on the
government to amend the International Crimes Tribunal Act so war criminals
"can be swiftly executed if convicted". The cabinet also set a 60-day
limit for the Supreme Court's Appellate Division to rule on appeals, to keep
the cases moving. This means that those who have been convicted and sentenced
to death could be executed this year if their verdicts survive appeal. In
response to popular protests, Jute and Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui
said on 12 February that a bill is being drafted to ban Jamaat-e-Islami from
Bangladeshi politics.
On 17 September 2013, Bangladesh
Supreme Court found Abdul Quader Molla guilty of murders and other war
crimes and ordered his execution, converting his life sentence to death
sentence.
Finally on 12 December 2013 Bangladesh
executed this war criminal.
Bangladesh Club, New Zealand
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Bangladeshis in Taipei, Taiwan
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Bangladeshi students of University of
Louisiana at Lafayette
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