Shahbagh Movement

A Tool for Suppressing Political Opposition in the Name of Justice

The Shahbagh movement of 2013 initially appeared to be a demand for the highest punishment for the war criminals of 1971. However, it later became evident that this movement was actually a tool for the government to suppress its political opponents. Under the pretext of prosecuting war criminals, a dangerous culture was established to eliminate prominent Islamic scholars and veteran politicians. Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and various top BNP figures were subjected to sham trials, leading to their executions. Through this judicial process, the Awami League strengthened its political position and began to strictly suppress freedom of speech. Extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, brutal torture in secret detention centers, and the systematic killing of innocent detainees became a norm. Anyone who dared to speak against the government was labeled a traitor or anti-national and faced severe persecution, shrinking the democratic space in the country.

The Politicization of the Judiciary After 2008

Since coming to power in 2008, the Awami League government has driven the country's political and judicial system toward a severe crisis. The 2009 Pilkhana massacre marked the beginning of this trend, where 57 bright military officers were brutally murdered in a planned attack. This massacre significantly weakened the morale of the military and ensured that any future possibility of military intervention was completely eradicated. Once the threat of military intervention was neutralized, the Awami League focused on extending its rule indefinitely, using the war crimes trials as a political weapon. On the one hand, they eliminated opposition leaders under the guise of prosecuting crimes against humanity, while on the other hand, they brutally suppressed Islamic political parties, as seen in the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown. They shot and killed the leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam like birds, crippling the representation of the country's scholarly community.

The Shahbagh Movement and the Transformation of the Judiciary into a Political Puppet

The Shahbagh movement of 2013 was essentially a well-orchestrated ploy by the Awami League to manipulate the judiciary for its own benefit. This movement helped distort the judicial system’s neutrality while also paving the way for systematic suppression of dissent. It allowed the government to fabricate an illusion of "publicly supported" judicial verdicts, which were later used to justify the elimination of numerous innocent individuals.

The July 2024 Massacre: The Ultimate Consequence of Awami League’s Culture of Impunity

The horrific massacre of July 2024 was the ultimate manifestation of Awami League’s culture of impunity. In an effort to cling to power, the government used state machinery to unleash a bloody crackdown against ordinary citizens. Those who stood against the regime’s authoritarian policies were ruthlessly slaughtered. This was not just a mass killing but a deliberate conspiracy to permanently silence the people’s demand for justice. The Awami League's manipulation of the judiciary for political gain has led to a culture of lawlessness that should be recognized as an even graver crime against humanity than those committed during the 1971 war.

The True Purpose of a Judiciary vs. Awami League’s Judicial Farce

In an independent state, the primary function of the judiciary is to ensure justice. This means that if a person is to be punished, the punishment should be proportional to the crime committed. Any excessive punishment beyond what is justified contradicts the fundamental principles of a fair judicial system. However, the Awami League turned the judiciary into a tool for political revenge, using it to execute and suppress innocent people. This is a direct assault on the very concept of justice and stands as a grave crime against humanity.

Awami League’s Crimes Are Worse Than the 1971 War Crimes

The 1971 Liberation War was a bloody conflict where two opposing forces fought for their survival, leading to inevitable war crimes. However, after independence, when a country establishes its own judicial system, that system is supposed to uphold justice. If the government of a sovereign state corrupts its own judiciary and uses it to kill innocent citizens, then such actions should be considered even more heinous than the war crimes committed in 1971. By exploiting the judiciary for political purges and mass killings, the Awami League has committed crimes far worse than those of the war criminals they sought to punish.

Now is the Time to Prosecute Awami League and Shahbagh Activists

The Shahbagh movement was the beginning of extrajudicial killings in an independent state. If they cannot be labeled as "Shahbagis" for their crimes, then there is no moral justification for calling the 1971 war criminals "war criminals." The Awami League government has tarnished the judiciary under the pretense of prosecuting war criminals, ultimately questioning the very legitimacy of crimes against humanity as a legal concept.

The people of Bangladesh have now awakened. Those who sacrificed their lives in July 2024 in an attempt to overthrow the Awami League dictatorship must not have died in vain. The Awami League and its Shahbagh supporters, who justified and legitimized the regime’s crimes, must be brought to justice and given the highest punishment. It is unacceptable for students and citizens to once again be forced to sacrifice their lives for justice in an independent country.

International Community Must Investigate Awami League’s Crimes

The Awami League’s crimes against humanity are not just a domestic issue but deserve international condemnation. The United Nations, human rights organizations, diplomatic bodies, and various governments should conduct an international investigation into Awami League’s crimes and take appropriate action against those responsible. To free Bangladesh from tyranny and establish true justice, it is crucial to put an end to the culture of impunity once and for all.