Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal has suggested inclusion of the sacrifices of 'Biranganas' (war heroines) in curricula to widely spread the ‘real history’ of the Liberation War to future generations.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, made the suggestion in its verdict against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam on Tuesday.
The tribunal condemned Rangpur Al-Badr commander Azhar to death for genocide during the 1971 war.
The court said in its observation: “The government should take necessary measures to include in the curricula of both school and college levels their (Biranganas) sacrifices and painful experiences of 1971... so that generation after generation can know the real history of the Liberation War.”
It said the inclusion would also help the people to know the barbaric atrocities, including sexual violence, committed by the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators like Razakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams and Peace Committee members.
The court referred to prosecutor Tureen Afroz’s submission for compensation for the victims of sexual violence committed during the Liberation War.
But it expressed its inability to pass an order in this regard due to absence of such provision in the law.
“There is no provision for victim’s compensation i.e. reparation in the (ICT) Act of 1973 or in the Penal Code. As such the tribunal cannot pass an order to provide reparations to prosecution witness-1, a victim of sexual violence,” it said.
The court said it felt that all the victims of sexual violence during the Liberation War should be adequately compensated and rehabilitated by the state ‘without further delay’.
It referred to Bangladesh’s founding president Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring and honouring them as 'Biranganas'.
“It is also the moral obligation of the nation to come forward to accept, recognise and honour the Biranganas in the society. They are the pride of the whole nation like freedom fighters and martyrs,” it said.
