Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, an institute based in the US has recognised the horrendous mass slaughter of Bangladeshis by the Pakistan military forces in 1971 as a ‘genocide or mass killing’.
The petition to recognise the brutal mass slaughter was filed by Touhid Reza Noor, the son of martyred journalist Serajuddin Hossain on November 15 last year,
Irene Victoria Masimmino, a law professor who works with the institute, informed Noor of the recognition on (Saturday) January 1.
The decision to recognise the mass slaughter in Bangladesh by the Pakistan occupational forces will make it easier to bring global attention and recognition to the events of 1971.
“I am delighted,” said Noor in a statement. “For those on the side of the Liberation War, it is a great achievement to close out the golden jubilee of our independence.”
“I believe that this will encourage other international human rights organisations to recognise the 1971 genocide.”
The Lemkin institute is named after Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer best known for coining the term ‘genocide’ and initiating the Genocide Convention.
Unamed and unarmed people of Bangladesh were attacked and mercilessly slaughtered by the Pakistani occupation sources of the night of March 25, 1971.
Under the name ‘Operation Searchlight’, the Pakistani occupation forces began a massacre that would spur a war and kill 3 million Bengalis in the span of nine months.
In the span of nine months, Pakistan military conducted massacre under the disguise of 'Operation Searchlight.'
More than 30 lakh Bangladeshis were killed within nine months.
