Social and Political Rehabilitation of the Collaborators of Pakistani Army in Bangladesh

On December 31, 1975, the Army regime of General Ziaur Rahman repealed the Collaborators Order (P.O.8 of 1972), which had been enacted to punish those who had collaborated with the Pakistani army during the war of liberation. Repeal of this law combined with the provision for an amnesty, a large number of those who had already been convicted, around 20,000 for treasons, rape, killing, arsons, looting and destruction of properties] were released from jail. “These strengthened the hands of the rightist forces who were pro-lslamic and anit-Indian by conviction.” (Moudud Ahmed, Democracy and the Challenge of Development p. 43). Again, on May 4, 1976, army regime issued another Martial Law Promulgation obliterating the proviso of Article 38, 1972 [proviso of Article 38, 1972 had, previously, banned all kinds of political activism based on religion], thereby, successfully, opening up the venue for communal politics in Bangladesh. In 1978, General Zia formed his first political platform, Jatiyo Gonotantric Dal (JAGO DAL) with the support from three different extreme political believers: (a) the religious rightists who actively opposed the liberation war; (b) extreme leftist; and (c) the rightist elements of Awami League. In 1971, pro-china leftists were divided into two groups, one actively opposed the liberation war and the other while had always been obsessed with vehement anti-Indian stand actively/passively supported the national independence. And the rightist elements of Awami League included those who either allegedly involved in the assassination of Sheikh Mujib and his family members or supported and joined Mustaq’s cabinet after the assassination of the father of the nation.

Under Zia’s military rule, first parliamentary election was held on February 18, 1979 and session convened on April 1, 1979. On April 6, 1979, constitution was amended (referred to as 5th amendment) to ratify and confirm (legalize) all Martial Law Proclamations, Orders, Regulations, and laws enacted between the period of August 15, 1975 and the first week of April 1979, including the annulment of Collaborator Act of 1972, proviso of Article 38, 1972. The 5th amendment also replaced one of core philosophies of the liberation war Secularism with “absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah."

General Zia, first, by repealing the Collaborator Act of 1972 and second, uplifting the ban on activism of religious rightist as well as radical left political parties helped, both socially and politically, rehabilitate these extreme religious and political groups. Thus, General Zia was the first one to sow the seed of politics of religious extremism in Bangladesh. Later, during general Ershad regime, in 1988 parliamentary session, constitution was amended to include Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh. The consequences of all of these constitutional changes had been three major atrocities occurred, respectively in 1990, 1992 and 2001 against the religious minorities in Bangladesh.

And, General Zia, for his contribution to the social and political rehabilitation of collaborators, is still revered as the savior by the members/ideologues/followers/sympathizers of extreme lefts and the religious rights in Bangladesh.



Source: Moudud Ahmed, Democracy and the Challenge of Development: A Study of Politics and Military Interventions in Bangladesh