Friday 24 April 2009

The 1972 constitution and our national unity

Even if we call the 1972 constitution a fruit of our national unity it gets better flavour, no doubt. Thanks for that. The great liberation war breaking all the class barriers in the society created great opportunity for a great national unity, but unfortunately country’s political luck was never great.

The concept I had in bringing the topic out on board was to highlight the fact that the 1972 constitution has been changed over the years in a manner that the Great National Unity and the Secular standard, we are talking about, in my view, no more exist.

We have even changed the Preamble of the constitution by which Secularism, one of the four fundamental principles of the constitution was omitted.

It was the first paragraph of the Preamble of the 1972 constitution: We, the people of Bangladesh, having proclaimed our Independence on the 26th day of March 1971 and through [a historic struggle for national liberation], established the independent, sovereign People’s Republic Bangladesh. Later the words “a historic war for national independence” were substituted.

‘Pleading that the high ideals of Nationalism, Socialism, Democracy and Secularism, which inspired our heroic people to dedicate themselves to, and our brave martyrs to sacrifice their lives in the historic struggle for national liberation, shall be the fundamental principles of our constitution’ – This was the second paragraph of the Preamble in [original] 1972 constitution.

The substituted second paragraph which is the present paragraph doesn’t have ‘secularism’, and instead ‘absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah’ was later incorporated.

Part II of the constitution which states the fundamental principles of state policy was changed as well. A new clause 1A in Article 8 was inserted which reads – ‘absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah shall be the basis of all actions’.

Articles 9 and 10 were substituted for the former articles 9 and 10.

Article 12 – ‘Secularism and freedom of religion’ as fundamental principles of state policy, in the 1972 constitution, was also omitted from the constitution. But was not replaced by a new article.Now we don’t have any Article 12 in our constitution. We have 11 and 13.

Article 12 of the constitution of 1972 contained provisions which strictly prohibited political party based on religion and banned the use of religion for materisalising any political interest. Unfortunately, these provisions were omitted from the constitution during the post 1975 period and the religion based politics started in the country.

Article 12 of the constitution stated that the principle of secularism shall be realized by the elimination of: Communalism in all forms; the granting by the state of political status in favour of any religion; the abuse of religion for political purposes; and any discrimination against, or persecution of persons practicing a particular religion.

Article 38, paragraph 2 of the 1972 constitution was also deleted, which stated: No person shall have the right to form or be a member or otherwise take part in the activities of, any communal or other association or union, which in the name or on the basis of any religion has for its object, or pursues a political purpose.

Further, we have inserted a new Article 2A, which reads – ‘the state religion of the Republic is Islam, but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in the Republic’.

From language movement to the great liberation war, even in earlier movements against British colonial rule, Bengali people struggled as one nation, irrespective of their race, cast, sex and religion. Many of our people sacrificed their lives for the mother land and mother tongue. There were Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others.

The word secularism is more or less confusing to most of the people of Bangladesh. In fact, is there any universal notion of secularism? Now the question is whether the western notion of secularism is applicable to our country or not.

No doubt Bangladesh was born out of the fundamental principles of democracy, socialism, Bengali nationalism and secularism.

In defining secularism we must consider Bangladesh as a pluralist society in both religious and cultural aspects. So, implementing secularism in Bangladesh is relatively an easier task compared with other Muslim countries. Most of Bangladeshi, we keep liberal outlook and traditionally believe in the principle of peaceful coexistence with other religious communities.

While defining secularism in 1972 constitution, Bangabandhu had crystal clear conception of secularism of the land. To him secularism was not to discard religion. Rather he was eager to promote all religions and bring religious harmony in the country.

There have been extensive militant networks operating world wide for years, and they kept growing under the government’s nose. Not surprisingly Bangladesh is no exception.
It is now also clear that there are some foreign investments that patronise militant activities round the globe. Testimonies of some arrested militants suggest that they are well-equipped and well-funded to carry out so-called ‘revolution’ in Bangladesh.
I pray to all that you keep your eyes open.

It is important to note here that one of our sector commanders in our great liberation war 1971 was Mr. C.R. Dutta. He said: ‘We didn’t fight for liberation in 1971 for making Islam state religion. The spirit of war of liberation was to establish a nation free from communalism.’

Now, my question - under the pesent constitution what class of Citizen Mr. Dutta is? It is really matter of sadness. Is it not the repeat of pre-liberation treatment to us by Pakistani junta, when we could not have our mother-tongue as of our right, when we were not allowed to take higher posts and positions in the then administration and so on? Are we not treating our own people differently? Are we secular liberal Bangladeshi? Are we not discriminating? If our constitution fails to guarantee the true equal Rights of our people, that constitution can not be called a fruit of our national UNITY. That fruit is bound to be a rotten fruit, not a ripen fruit.

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Homage to William A S Ouderland (Bir Pratik) (1917-2001)

Dutch-Australian William A S Ouderland was honoured with the state insignia of 'Bir Pratik ', the fourth highest gallantry award by the government of Bangladesh for his very active participation in and heroic contribution, to the WAR OF LIBERATION in 1971. He is the only foreigner to receive this honorary award by the government of Bangladesh. An Australian national Ouderland was born at Amsterdam in Netherland on 6 December 1917. At the age of seventeen he took a job in the Bata Shoe Company as Shoe-shiner (1934). After two years he left the job and joined National Service and was a Sergeant in the Royal Signal Corps (1936). He left the service in 1940 and then participated in the Second World War (1939-1945) as a guerilla commando of the Dutch army.

Ouderland first came to Dhaka in late 1970 with an assignment as the Production Manager of Bata Shoe Company. Within a few months he was promoted to the post of Company Manager. With the beginning of the War of Liberation the company-manager Ouderland discovered in him the ex-soldier Ouderland facing a new war. At the initial stage he engaged himself in communicating secret intelligence on the plans and actions of the occupation army to the freedom fighters.
As a foreigner he had the access to Pak-army and thereby the opportunity to move in the army headquarters and often attend meetings of the army officers in the cantonment. He helped the freedom fighters in every possible way by supplying provisions and financial support. With his experience in the Second World War as a guerilla commando and himself being an active member of a guerilla branch of the freedom fighters of Sector 2, he imparted regular training to the freedom fighters in guerilla warfare at different secret camps in Tongi including the Bata Shoe Factory premises.
On 25 March 1971, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight. He was moved by the killings of the Pakistan Army on 25 March and took photos which he sent to the international media. A war between the West Pakistan Army and guerrilla force, the Mukti Bahini, started immediately. Guerrilla operations, which slacked during the training phase, picked up after August. Economic and Military targets in Dhaka were attacked. Ouderland organized the guerrilla warfare in Dhaka. He built a friendly relationship with 22nd Baluch Regiment captain Sultan Newaz and penetrated into Dhaka cantonment. Subsequently he created close relation with Governor General Tikka Khan and Adviser Civil Affairs Major General Rao Forman Ali. He became a "Distinguished Friend" of A. A. K. Niazi at the headquarters of Eastern Command and managed a security pass to contact with them frequently. Besides Ouderland continued gathering information for the Mukti Bahini and sent it to Major ATM Haider of Sector-2 and Ziaur Rahman.
Inside his office of the Bata Company in Tongi, Ouderland organized and trained the guerrilla fighters of Mukti Bahini. He planned and directed a number of guerrilla operations in Dhaka and nearby areas. He provided the fighters with food and medicine and often gave them shelter. Simultaneously, he gave a tremendous service at the initial stage of the Liberation War by collecting photographs on the inhuman torture and genocide by the occupation army in East Pakistan, and sending them to the world news media thereby creating public opinion in favour of Liberation War. On this point he wrote, "I recollected and resumed in myself the experiences of my youth in Europe, and I felt that I should get the world informed of what was happening in Bangladesh".
William AS Ouderland continued his service in the Bata Shoe Company with his later elevated position as Managing Director till 1978 when he retired and returned back to Australia and settled there for the rest of his life. He died on 18 May 2001 in a hospital at Perth in West Australia leaving behind him his wife Maria and his only daughter. In his last days he was often found telling his wife and daughter, "Bangladesh mon amor (Bangladesh is our love). Maintain this flow of emotion for the generation to come". In 1998, he was invited by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, to receive the award and certificate but was unable to attend due to illness.
Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org/banglapedia.net/

Mr Ouderland’s Letter

Dear Mr Faridi

Thank you for your letter of January 24, 1997 advising your effort to

gather and preserve for the future generations of Bangladesh,

relevant and vital information and facts about the struggle of the Bengali

people for Freedom and independence commencing in 1971.

As one who was intimately involved in this struggle. I am writing to

give you the information you requested. Firstly concerning my self

and then to share with you some recollections of the 1971 struggle.

I was born on December 1917 in Amsterdam. Holland while Europe was

in the grip of the third year of the First World War. I was

conscripted for National service in 1936 shortly after I had commenced my employment with the Bata Shoe Company. Shortly before my mother land was

invaded by Germany, I was called up to serve as a sergeant in the Dutch Royal

Signals Corp. IN the face of the might of Adolf Hitlar's German Junta,

equipped with sophisticated Tank and other massive weapons my platoon

of 36 men then were simply armed with short rifles and twelve rounds of

ammunitions each. As we went out to face this enemy, flying overhead

was the huge fleet of Germen warplanes headed for Rotterdam where, in the

space of half an hour, 30,000 innocent Dutch citizen died as result of their

massive air attack. Following this blitzkrieg of Rotterdam the germen Junta

issued and ultimatum to the other cities of Holland, Belgium and France.

Within week the Dutch, Belgium and the France people were under the

domination of Germen Junta.

Having escape form the POW camp after short internment, I joined the

Dutch underground assistance movement. As I spoke fluent Germen and

several Dutch dialects. I befriended the germen high command and was

thus able to help the Dutch underground movement as well as the allied

forces with the vital information. Therefore, when the even of March 1971

started with Tanks of Pakistani forces rolling in to Dhaka, I was reliving my

experience of my younger days in Europe. I could fully appreciate

and predicament of the Bengali people and this motivated me to spring in

to action on their behalf. As a result of indiscriminate and cruel actions of this invading

Pakistani Junta, thousands of Bangali died in the ensuing week.

I felt that some one had made the world aware of what was happening since

I was able to move freely. I was able to photograph the atrocities committed by

Pakistanis against the innocent people which including young children. I was

able to pass these photos to the world press to high light the plight of the

Bengali people.

Deeply touched and move by the almost unbearable sufferings and atrocities I

witness of the cruel and oppressive occupying force. I secretly began Guerrilla movement

with the brave Bengalis at Bata Tongi and all around sectors 1 and 2. In addition, and as an

expatriate CEO of an international company, I had the company of the occupying Pakistani

high command. This enables me to help the Bengali freedom fighters. I trained and worked

with in relation to their Guerilla activities. All these action were taken as a result of my deep

love and affection I felt for the Bengali people.

There is much more I could say in details but it is near impossible

because I am now retired and almost blind.

I have enclosed an album of Photograph cataloguing the atrocities of

the occupying Pakistani army and the untold suffering of the Bengali

people. Also include are photos of some of the brave freedom fighters

whom I consider as my sons.

I hope this will be some help to your worth while endeavour and I

wish you every success.

Your sincerely

W. A S Ouderland

Perth, Australia

22 February 1997

Note:

This letter was send by Mr Ouderland to one of our freedom fighters Mr

Faridi in 1997 and later it was publish in a magazine in Sweden along

with Photograph.

Courtesy: banglaweb.com

Friday 17 April 2009

DID BANGABANDHU ACTUALLY PARDON ALL WAR CRIMINALS?

Contrary to the misconception that all the war criminals have been pardoned

If a society that allows the war criminals to roam around free for so many years, it is not at all surprising that such a society will become a breeding ground for criminals. The trial of those who actively opposed Bangladesh's liberation by taking up arms to fight for the occupying Pakistani army has been one of the unfinished legacies of our history.

The process of trial of the war criminals was originally began in 1972 and stopped abruptly after the assignation of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975.

A total of 37,000 war criminals were arrested between 1972 and 1975.

Twenty-six thousands (26,000) of the detainees with records of minor offence, were pardoned under a general amnesty announced by Mujib government, in which the accused against whom there was no clear evidence of killing, rape, arson and looting were given clemency. There was this clause that even those who were pardoned if new allegations of killing, rape, arson and looting turned up against them they could be tried.

But the trial process of 11,000 others, against whom there was clear evidence of killing, rape, arson and looting was on. Among them 752 were handed down with sentences after the trial under the Collaborators Act 1972. By December 31, the trials of these 752 war criminals were finished, even death penalties were handed down, and one war criminal walked the gallows.

Notably, the first death penalty executed in the history of Bangladesh was in fact that of a war criminal.

But, unfortunately, after the assassination of Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) the ruling general Ziaur Rahman halted the process of trial of the war criminals by scrapping the Collaborators Act, resulting in rehabilitation of the hated criminals in the society.

Around 11,000 were behind bars when the government of Justice Sayem and General Zia repealed the Collaborators’ Act on December 31, 1975. They in fact stopped the trial and investigation process. Even those who had been punished were then freed.
sources: online

NO WAY JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI DENY THEIR ROLE AS WAR CRIMINALS

Jamaat-e-Islami, which yesterday once again denied its anti-liberation role during the 1971 War of Independence, had many of its top leaders among the Razakar members surrendering along with the Pakistan occupation forces on December 16, 1971.

Present Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was the chief of Al-Badr, one of the two wings of the Army of Razakars that worked for the Pakistan armed forces to eliminate freedom fighters. The Al Badr is thought to be behind the massacre of the intellectuals on December 14, 1971 when a hundred intellectuals were picked up to be slaughtered.

Lt Gen Niazi’s account:
According to the account of events chronicled by Lt Gen AAK Niazi, who led the Pakistan occupation forces as the chief of Eastern Command of the Pakistan Army in 1971, render the Jamaat’s claim untrue, whom the Jamaat wholeheartedly supported in eliminating freedom fighters in 1971.

Niazi in his book ''The Betrayal of East Pakistan" has categorically said the Army of Razakars was formed by the Pakistan government to fight against the liberation forces. Niazi also describes the formation of the Razakars, training and procurement of weapons and other logistics for them and deployment of the paramilitary vigilante force.

In his book, he says Jamaat-e-Islami, Nizam-i-Islam Party and several factions of Muslim League were known as rightist political parties at the time and the Army of Razakars was formed with the men recruited from these parties.

"Seventy percent of the target ceiling, of 50,000 Razakars spread over all the districts of the province, was achieved. Battle schools were established to train Razakar platoon and company commanders. To provide an effective command structure to this organisation, about sixty young officers were selected to be appointed as Razakar Group Commanders," Niazi says.

Pleased with their performance, Niazi dedicated his book to the Razakars and Mujahids of East Pakistan along with the members of the armed forces, civil armed forces, civilian officers and the West Pakistan police, saying they "strove hard, made supreme sacrifices and suffered humiliation to keep Pakistan united".

Maj Siddiq Salik’s account:
In fact, Jamaat's dominance in the paramilitary force annoyed other parties.
Maj Siddiq Salik, who was the public relations officer of the then Eastern Command of Pakistan Army and worked closely with Niazi in 1971, in his book "Witness to Surrender" says in September 1971 a political delegation from West Pakistan complained to Niazi that he had raised an army dominated by Jamaat men.

"The General called me to his office and said: From now on, you will call the Razakars--Al-Badr and Al-Shams--to give the impression that they do not belong to one single party," Salik writes.

He observes that the Jamaat leaders collaborated with the Pakistan army "not only to advance their ideals of Pakistan as an Islamic state, but also to wreak vengeance on people they were at enmity with".

There are Historic Documents:
According to the historic document of surrender, the Razakars also conceded defeat in the country's Liberation War along with the Pakistan armed forces. "...This surrender includes all Pakistan land, air, and naval forces as also all paramilitary forces and civil armed forces," says the instrument of surrender signed between the chiefs of the Pakistan occupation forces and the Indian and Bangladesh liberation forces.

Military schools were set up to train the Razakars and a separate Razakars Directorate was established. The Razakars were provided with machine guns, sten guns and intelligence against Bangalee freedom fighters, their supporters and sympathisers.

Jamaat leaders Golam Azam, Abbas Ali Khan, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid launched a countrywide campaign urging youths to join the Razakars, Al-Badr, and the Al-Shams to resist the liberation forces of Bangladesh. The then home ministry also sent reports to West Pakistan about the activities of these forces in favour of the Pakistan occupation forces.

As the newspapers suggest, the top leadership of the Jamaat has been involved in the rape and killing during the war of liberation. Due to their involvement in the anti-liberation activities, Jamaat was constitutionally banned after the country's independence and many Jamaat leaders had to face trial on charges of war crimes.
Source: Online