“Bangladesh’s new government acutely felt the need for international recognition, not least because it was substantially dependent on foreign aid. In a grand tripartite bargain, the three countries decided that India would release Pakistani prisoners-of-war, Pakistan would recognise Bangladesh, repatriate the Bengalis on its territory and admit a number of Biharis. Bangladesh, which had by then reduced the number of Pakistanis it wanted to put on trial for war crimes from 1,500 to 195, agreed to drop its demands entirely.”
The razakars – collaborators belonging to Islamist militant groups who had aided the Pakistani army’s genocidal campaign – not only avoided punishment, but acquired political power in the country whose independence they had violently opposed. For almost four decades, it appeared that the quest for justice was a lost cause. This was the case until four years ago when Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government assumed office and delivered on its campaign promise of putting suspected war criminals to trial.
The internet played a role in ensuring that the flame for justice was not completely extinguished. Especially over the last decade, a new generation of patriotic Bangladeshis found voice, fellowship and influence online. For instance, my friend and long-time blogger Rezwan-ul-Islam put together the Bangladesh Genocide Archive (genocidebangladesh.org), in which he curated articles, photographs, videos and papers documenting a gruesome, but forgotten, chapter in world history. There were many like him; but, somehow, it felt like there were too few to make a difference.
For, in many ways, theirs was a battle against those who’d rather forget — the United States under Richard Nixon sided with the butchers, the United Nations was unable to do much and Pakistan wanted to erase every memory. Even a part of the Bangladeshi political spectrum found it more profitable to do deals with the collaborators than to bring them to justice. In the event, it was a battle that the keepers of the flame managed to win.
So when Abdul Quader Mollah, a person convicted of committing heinous crimes, walked out of the tribunal with a life sentence, a wide grin and a flashing V-for-victory sign, it is understandable that a lot of Bangladeshis flew into a rage. Within days, Dhaka’s Shahbag intersection became the site of massive public protests. Rapid, leaderless and transcending partisan lines – the hallmarks of mobilisation in the deeply networked societies of this age – the protests unambiguously demanded that those found guilty of mass atrocities be put to death.
One reason why many Bangladeshis want to hang the war criminals is that they fear that a future government sympathetic to the Islamists, or dependent on their support, might commute life sentences and set the culprits free again. Mr Mollah’s triumphalism is suspected as being an outcome of a deal among the political parties. For the time being, the Shahbag protests have ensured that domestic realpolitik does not get in the way of justice again.
The Jamaat-i-Islami is fighting back: online, politically and on the streets. In a shocking incident that is reminiscent of the terror tactics adopted by razakars in 1971, a blogger was killed and dismembered last week, allegedly by militants affiliated to the Jamaat. It is likely that the Islamist right-wing will attempt its own counter-mobilisation in the coming weeks, creating a major security challenge for the Bangladeshi government as the country heads towards general elections.
Although the sight of massive crowds baying for blood is unsettling, the Shahbag protests are not merely about hanging murderers. Bangladesh is in a remarkable, and perhaps unprecedented, situation: large crowds have gathered in a Muslim-majority country protesting against Islamist politics. This is really a massive public rejection of parties like the Jamaat-i-Islami and a repudiation of their ideology. So strong is the public sentiment that even the opposition Bangladesh National Party is finding the need to distance itself from its long-time ally.
While the Shahbag protests are certainly impressive, it is the forthcoming general election that will decide which way Bangladesh will go. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered at a Dhaka intersection make for compelling visual footage. They are, however, a fraction of the electorate that will decide who forms the next government. While Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did deliver on her election promise on the issue of the razakars, will voters reward her with another term based on this one issue?
The writer is director of the Takshashila Institution, an independent non-partisan think tank