Sector commanders seek unconditional apology

Sector Commanders Forum (SCF) - Liberation War' 71 yesterday handed over a protest letter to the Pakistan high commission condemning the Pakistan government's recent remarks on the war crimes trials and denial of the Pakistani occupation army's atrocities during the 1971 Liberation War.

The letter demanded an "unconditional, formal apology from Pakistan for the barbarity of their forces on innocent Bangladeshi civilians in 1971 and withdrawal of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement issued recently".

"We also urge the government of Pakistan to take steps to hold trial of the accused 195 military personnel for their brutal role in 1971 and give compensation to the victim families in Bangladesh," read the letter.

In the letter, SCF mentioned the Hamoodor Rahman Commission report, the inquiry conducted by Pakistan into the brutality of its armed forces in 1971 and also memoirs of Pakistani generals who witnessed the genocide.

Signed by SCF Chairman Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah and Secretary General Haroon Habib, the letter also referred to the Vienna Convention and how Bangladesh, being a signatory, cannot forgive crimes against humanity.

The platform of Liberation War heroes also said article 15 of the Tripartite Agreement signed among Bangladesh-India-Pakistan in 1974 "has little relevance in the eyes of International law".

Article 15 of the agreement reads "… having regard to the appeal of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the people of Bangladesh to forgive and forget the mistakes of the past, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh stated that the Government of Bangladesh had decided not to proceed with the trials as an act of clemency".

"We would, therefore, like to state that if the Government of Pakistan fails to bring to trial the identified 195 war criminals, we will have no alternatives but to approach the United Nations and other International Community to organize an International trial of those perpetrators of crimes against humanity," reads the letter. 

Police escorted Shafiullah, Haroon and SCF Vice President Lt Gen (retd) Harun-ur-Rashid to the high commission in the capital in the morning and the high commission's second secretary accepted the letter, Habib told The Daily Star over the phone.