February Massacre in Bangladesh – Justice delayed or justice denied?

On 25th February 2010, Bangladesh will observe the first year of the massacre inside the headquarters of Bangladesh Riffles [border security forces], where more than 56 army officers were brutally murdered, many of the family members of those officers humiliated and raped. Awami League led grand alliance government has though decided to observe this day as ´Pilkhana Killing Day´, there is no sign of any progress in the investigation into this heinous crime of the history of Bangladesh.

It is known to all that government assigned senior police officer Abdul Kahhar Akhand as the chief investigation officer to investigate the massacre. Being appointed, Mr. Akhand told reporters on numerous occasions that his entire process of investigation would be completed in ´three months´. But, now, it is clear that though one year has already passed, there is no sign of submitting the investigation report, nor there is any hope of ultimately trying the killers and their masterminds of this notorious crime.

Initially after the incident, several senior members of the ruling party as well the government continued making series of statements accusing various parties to be involved behind February 25 Pilkhana massacre. Commerce minister Lt. Col. Faruk Khan championed all by making self-contradictory statements on this issue thus putting accusations on "foreign forces" to "Talibans" to "Anti liberation forces". And, shall I mention the home minister Advocate Sahara Khatun´s role? I think it is better not to!

Officials of Bangladesh Army described the ´mutiny´ as the biggest massacre of defense commanders anywhere in the world, saying the impoverished South Asian nation's powerful military will need quite a long time to recover from such tremendous loss. Brigadier-General Mahmud Hossain, Director of Military Intelligence told reporters that, Bangladesh Army was ready to storm the headquarters of the BDR here soon after the mutiny erupted, but heeded to Premier Sheikh Hasina's advice at the last minute to resolve the issue politically.

He said the army was ready to put down the BDR mutiny soon after it began, but decided to support Prime Minister Hasina's decision to solve the issue politically.

Terming it "possibly the worst massacre of Army officers in Bangladesh's history", Brig Hossain said the anger among the armed forces was very natural.

Outraged over the killing of its officers during the brutality of BDR soldiers, the Bangladesh Army demanded "maximum" punishment for those involved in the massacre.

"Exemplary punishment of the culprits will cool our resentment. Our demand is that the investigation into the killings should be quickened and maximum punishment should be given to those persons responsible for them," Brig. Hossain said.

I think now it is not necessary at all to comment as to whether the ´political resolution formula´ of the Prime Minister was correct or not, as the matter is now under investigation, and any comment in this direction may lead or mislead the investigators, if they at all are interested yet in pressing the investigation process to a conclusion. We did not hear about the progress in the investigation by senior official of Criminal Investigation Department [CID] Abdul Kahhar Akhand. It is also a reality that this gentleman is over-burdened with numerous investigations in other ´sensitive´ cases, and possibly he hardly finds any time in looking into the February Massacre case. No one knows when the investigation will conclude or whether it will see the light at all. Critics say the investigation into the February Massacre case has already been sent to ´cold storage´. I am sure, those having minimal knowledge about this matter will understand the reason behind such fate of the investigation.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly said that no killing shall go unaddressed in Bangladesh. Surely she was pointing to the tragic murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Jail killing and attempt on her life. Certainly the perpetrators of the mentioned notorieties deserve punishment. No one will disagree on this point. But, what makes me feel sad is, the government is very tactfully trying to put cloud on the February Massacre case and doing everything to ensure the total process to be delayed. And, there is saying – justice delayed is justice denied. Are those family members of martyred army officers as well those affected members of their families not going to see the killers and conspirators of February massacre punished?

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an award winning anti Jihadist Muslim journalist in Bangladesh.

He is the editor of Weekly Blitz. This newspaper has both print and online edition reaching mostly policymakers, politicians, entrepreneurs, students, think tanks, civil and military officials, clergies and cross section of people in the world.

Weekly Blitz is the largest and most influential English language newspaper published in Bangladesh. Online edition of the only anti Jihadist newspaper in the Muslim world is available on www.weeklyblitz.net

Journalist, writer, poet, lyricist, author, film director, political analyst and peace activist, Choudhury, started his career in journalism in 1989 as the Correspondent of TASS, state news agency of Soviet Union. Later he was promoted as the Chief Correspodent of Itar-Tass in Bangladesh.

On November 29, 2003, he was arrested at Zia International Airport in Bangladesh on his way to Israel to attend a peace conference. Choudhury was tortured, imprisoned and denied medical treatment in prison. Government brought sedition, treason and blasphemy charges against him for confronting religious extremism, advocating inter-faith dialogue and demanding relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. He was released on April 30, 2005 after imprisonment of seventeen months.

Although released on bail, Choudhury continues to face sedition, treason and blasphemy charges and the trial continues in a court in Dhaka. Sedition bears capital punishment [death penalty] according to law in Bangladesh.

Choudhury is the recipient of PEN USA Freedom to Write Award in 2005; American Jewish Committee's Moral Courage Award in 2006; Monaco Media Award in 2007 Key to Englewood City [NJ, USA] in 2007 and Key to Cherry Hill [NJ] in 2007 alongwith numerous local and international awards.

He has written a number of books on various issues. His book titled 'Injustice and Jihad' was published in October 2007. Italian publication house Neftasia Editore has published Choudhury's book titled 'Non Sono Colpevole' in May 2008.

Choudhury's latest book titled 'Inside Madrassa', which contains descriptive and elaborate information on condition of Madrassas in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Muslim nations has been published in October 2009. This book is a result of comprehensive research by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury for several years. Interested people can buy a copy of this book by contacting Blitz Publications, ediblitz@yahoo.com

In today's world, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is perhaps the most quoted Bangladeshi journalist in the international media.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The Washington Times, The Australian, The Berliner Zeitung, The Jewish State, The Jewish Week, The Guardian and many other leading international and regional dailies and periodicals have published numerous editorials on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.

Office of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper, Weekly Blitz was bombed by Islamist militants in Dhaka [Bangladesh] in July 2006. On October 5, 2006, armed terrorists attacked the his office and physically assaulted him. On 18th March 2008, members of Rapid Action Battalion [infamous of extra-judicial murders] abducted Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury at gun point from his office. He was blind-folded and physically assaulted. Because of quick actions by US Peace Activist Dr. Richard L Benkin and Rep. Mark Steven Kirk and other esteemed members of United States Congress, Choudhury escaped RAB's deathtrap.

On February 22, 2009, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper office was once again attacked by the armed thugs belonging to ruling party. He and his staffs were physically assaulted and the attackers looted his laptop along with two manuscripts of his un-published books.

US Congress, European Parliament, Australian Senate passed resolutions demanding dropping of the false case of Mr. Choudhury and to give him proper security and stop all forms of harassments. But, Bangladeshi authorities in Dhaka, instead of showing minimum respect to such calls, withdrew police protection from the residence of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury in May 2008.

He writes of several international newspapers and research sites.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is regularly invited by numerous prestigious institutions in the world for giving lecture on various topics of his work. He is considered to be one of the very few counter-terrorism experts working on Islamist militancy, Jihad, Sharia rule and Jihadist funding. His efforts have been recognized by the United States Congress, Australian Senate, Canadian Parliament, European Parliament and other governmental bodies in the world.

Yale University [New Haven, USA], Rutgers University [New Jersey, USA] and Hudson Institute [NYC] invited Choudhury to lectures. He also has given lectures at AIPAC, American Jewish Committee, and Synagogues in USA etc.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury has been interviewed in a recently released [2010] feature length documentary film named AMERICA AT RISK, which is produced by Citizens United Production, USA.

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