Submitted for a MA in Conflict Security and Development, University of Exeter, August 2015.
Ban... more Submitted for a MA in Conflict Security and Development, University of Exeter, August 2015.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD), which has recently sentenced several prominent Islamist politicians for their ‘collaboration’ in crimes committed by the Pakistani military during the 1971 war for independence, is a controversial process. Supporters applaud its efforts to achieve justice obstructed for several decades, whilst its opponents denounce its political motivation. This dissertation primarily seeks to understand whether ICT-BD can be understood as an attempt to complete a process of justice for 1971 or a politically motivated attack on opponents of the government. In doing so it provides an assessment of ICT-BD which situates it within a complex historical and political context and recognises the nature and importance of conflict legacy in Bangladesh. It attempts to explain and reconcile international and local opinions and assessments that frequently diverge, ultimately concluding that ‘justice’ and ‘politics’ are inexorably intertwined over this issue. The prosecution of historic war crimes is undoubtedly a worthy exercise, which Bangladesh has every right to conduct in a domestic framework. But ICT-BD certainly has political utility for the ruling party, if not overt political motivation. Unfortunately the adoption of 1970s legislation has limited the Tribunal’s scope to the defeated side in the conflict. This was always a likely outcome given that public demand for justice has always been focused upon Islamist figures, who are largely seen as having been unjustly ‘rehabilitated’, and the trials enjoy majority approval amongst Bangladeshis. The Tribunal claims to incorporate ‘international law’, yet the government’s desire to use death sentences has precluded all international involvement. It undeniably falls short of ‘international standards’, and has attracted justified criticism from international commentators and organisations. But, international coverage has lacked balance, and has inadequately engaged with the full historical context and political realities of the Bangladeshi post-conflict scenario.
Submitted for a MA in Conflict Security and Development, University of Exeter, August 2015.
Ban... more Submitted for a MA in Conflict Security and Development, University of Exeter, August 2015.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD), which has recently sentenced several prominent Islamist politicians for their ‘collaboration’ in crimes committed by the Pakistani military during the 1971 war for independence, is a controversial process. Supporters applaud its efforts to achieve justice obstructed for several decades, whilst its opponents denounce its political motivation. This dissertation primarily seeks to understand whether ICT-BD can be understood as an attempt to complete a process of justice for 1971 or a politically motivated attack on opponents of the government. In doing so it provides an assessment of ICT-BD which situates it within a complex historical and political context and recognises the nature and importance of conflict legacy in Bangladesh. It attempts to explain and reconcile international and local opinions and assessments that frequently diverge, ultimately concluding that ‘justice’ and ‘politics’ are inexorably intertwined over this issue. The prosecution of historic war crimes is undoubtedly a worthy exercise, which Bangladesh has every right to conduct in a domestic framework. But ICT-BD certainly has political utility for the ruling party, if not overt political motivation. Unfortunately the adoption of 1970s legislation has limited the Tribunal’s scope to the defeated side in the conflict. This was always a likely outcome given that public demand for justice has always been focused upon Islamist figures, who are largely seen as having been unjustly ‘rehabilitated’, and the trials enjoy majority approval amongst Bangladeshis. The Tribunal claims to incorporate ‘international law’, yet the government’s desire to use death sentences has precluded all international involvement. It undeniably falls short of ‘international standards’, and has attracted justified criticism from international commentators and organisations. But, international coverage has lacked balance, and has inadequately engaged with the full historical context and political realities of the Bangladeshi post-conflict scenario.
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Papers by Tom Barton
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD), which has recently sentenced several prominent Islamist politicians for their ‘collaboration’ in crimes committed by the Pakistani military during the 1971 war for independence, is a controversial process. Supporters applaud its efforts to achieve justice obstructed for several decades, whilst its opponents denounce its political motivation. This dissertation primarily seeks to understand whether ICT-BD can be understood as an attempt to complete a process of justice for 1971 or a politically motivated attack on opponents of the government. In doing so it provides an assessment of ICT-BD which situates it within a complex historical and political context and recognises the nature and importance of conflict legacy in Bangladesh. It attempts to explain and reconcile international and local opinions and assessments that frequently diverge, ultimately concluding that ‘justice’ and ‘politics’ are inexorably intertwined over this issue.
The prosecution of historic war crimes is undoubtedly a worthy exercise, which Bangladesh has every right to conduct in a domestic framework. But ICT-BD certainly has political utility for the ruling party, if not overt political motivation. Unfortunately the adoption of 1970s legislation has limited the Tribunal’s scope to the defeated side in the conflict. This was always a likely outcome given that public demand for justice has always been focused upon Islamist figures, who are largely seen as having been unjustly ‘rehabilitated’, and the trials enjoy majority approval amongst Bangladeshis. The Tribunal claims to incorporate ‘international law’, yet the government’s desire to use death sentences has precluded all international involvement. It undeniably falls short of ‘international standards’, and has attracted justified criticism from international commentators and organisations. But, international coverage has lacked balance, and has inadequately engaged with the full historical context and political realities of the Bangladeshi post-conflict scenario.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD), which has recently sentenced several prominent Islamist politicians for their ‘collaboration’ in crimes committed by the Pakistani military during the 1971 war for independence, is a controversial process. Supporters applaud its efforts to achieve justice obstructed for several decades, whilst its opponents denounce its political motivation. This dissertation primarily seeks to understand whether ICT-BD can be understood as an attempt to complete a process of justice for 1971 or a politically motivated attack on opponents of the government. In doing so it provides an assessment of ICT-BD which situates it within a complex historical and political context and recognises the nature and importance of conflict legacy in Bangladesh. It attempts to explain and reconcile international and local opinions and assessments that frequently diverge, ultimately concluding that ‘justice’ and ‘politics’ are inexorably intertwined over this issue.
The prosecution of historic war crimes is undoubtedly a worthy exercise, which Bangladesh has every right to conduct in a domestic framework. But ICT-BD certainly has political utility for the ruling party, if not overt political motivation. Unfortunately the adoption of 1970s legislation has limited the Tribunal’s scope to the defeated side in the conflict. This was always a likely outcome given that public demand for justice has always been focused upon Islamist figures, who are largely seen as having been unjustly ‘rehabilitated’, and the trials enjoy majority approval amongst Bangladeshis. The Tribunal claims to incorporate ‘international law’, yet the government’s desire to use death sentences has precluded all international involvement. It undeniably falls short of ‘international standards’, and has attracted justified criticism from international commentators and organisations. But, international coverage has lacked balance, and has inadequately engaged with the full historical context and political realities of the Bangladeshi post-conflict scenario.