DHAKA: The debate over recognising the atrocities committed by Pakistani forces during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War as genocide has resurfaced at the United Nations after Brussels-based Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) raised the issue during the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on July 3. According to a report by Eurasia Review, HRWF said the religious dimension of the 1971 violence has not received adequate international recognition. While the conflict is widely remembered for mass killings, displacement and repression, the organisation argued that Hindu communities were systematically targeted because of their religious identity. HRWF Director Willy Fautre said the issue is not merely about classifying historical events but about protecting religious freedom today. He stressed that acknowledging the religious persecution of 1971 is essential for addressing ongoing vulnerabilities faced by minority communities.
The report said the lack of formal recognition has contributed to an incomplete historical narrative, leaving the experiences of religious minorities overlooked and weakening efforts to strengthen their protection.
It noted that religious minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, continue to face challenges such as land dispossession and periodic communal violence. According to HRWF, addressing these issues requires confronting their historical roots.
Fautre argued that recognising the 1971 violence as genocide would serve as a preventive measure against future identity-based crimes. Formal acknowledgement, he said, would reinforce international norms against religious persecution and send a clear message that such atrocities will not be ignored. The report added that the renewed discussion at the UN reflects growing global attention to historical accountability and its relevance to present-day human rights. It said recognising the 1971 atrocities as genocide is not only about justice for the past but also about establishing stronger standards to prevent similar crimes in the future. (IANS)
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