US lawmakers push to recognise 1971 genocide in Congress

A resolution has been introduced in the US Congress seeking formal recognition of the mass killings carried out by Pakistani forces during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War as genocide.

The motion was introduced on Friday in the House of Representatives by Democratic Congressman Greg Landsman of Ohio.

In the proposal, Landsman calls for the Jamaat-e-Islami to be brought to justice for assisting in the atrocities, referring to the party as a “radical Islamic terrorist group”.

He also urges ensuring the protection of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The proposal states that during Operation Searchlight, launched on Mar 25, 1971, Pakistani armed forces and their Islamist collaborators carried out brutal attacks. Ethnic Bengalis of all faiths were targeted, while Hindus were singled out for systematic elimination and mass killing.

Presenting the motion, Landsman said: “The Pakistani military’s 1971 campaign meets the United Nations definition of genocide.

“This designation should have been made by the United States long ago.”

The issue of minority persecution in Bangladesh was also raised at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Feb 9, where concerns over the human rights situation during the interim government period and the 1971 genocide were discussed. The event was organised by a group named HinduACTion.

Dilip Nath, a Democratic Party district leader in New York, said the proposal followed that discussion

He told bdnews24.com, “After the political shift during the July movement, Jamaat-e-Islami has re-emerged… People in Bangladesh are outraged. If passed, the US may again ban Jamaat as a perpetrator of the 1971 crimes.”