Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday said that the future generation of Pakistan will understand that in 1971, the Pakistan army committed genocide in Bangladesh and will voice for the punishment of the perpetrators.
“Pakistani junta who committed the genocide went unpunished. It’s very unfortunate and shameful. It’s a shame for Pakistan, too. They should have tried them,” he told reporters after attending a seminar in the capital.
Earlier he spoke at a seminar titled “Bangladesh Genocide in 1971” as the guest of honour jointly organised by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs held at Liberation War Museum Auditorium, Agargaon.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque spoke as the chief guest. Founding President of Genocide Watch Professor Gregory Stanton, renowned genocide expert Dr Helen Jarvis and Trustee of Liberation War Museum Mofidul Hoque also spoke.
While speaking at the seminar, Momen also said the parliament adopted the resolution to commemorate 25th March as the ‘Genocide Day’, marking the day of the beginning of Bangladesh’s glorious nine-month-long Liberation War.
“Efforts are on to get international recognition of the genocide and it was the day when the Pakistani army and its collaborators started one of the most heinous genocides of world history”, he added.
“We believe commemoration of 25th March as Genocide Day is not only paying homage to the great and brave martyrs of 1971 but also creating public awareness against the genocide happened and happening all around the world,” the minister commented.
Genocide Watch has issued a declaration in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Bangladesh Genocide and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has also issued a statement on the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971’ a few months ago.
Momen quoted from the speech of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered at the UN General Assembly in 1974 and said, “I know that the soul of our martyrs joins us in pledging that the Bangalee nation fully commits itself to the building of a world order in which the aspiration of all men and women for peace and justice will be realized.”
The speakers paid profound respect to Bangabandhu whose unprecedented charismatic leadership and long struggle helped to achieve our long-cherished independence.
They also paid homage to the memories of the three million martyrs of the Liberation War, who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Bangladesh.
