Law Minister Anisul Huq proposed creation of a global alliance for genocide studies and justice saying remembrance of mass atrocities was crucial to prevent future genocides.
“We urge all to remember repeatedly what happened in the past not only in Bangladesh, but also in other parts of the world. Learning from the past is essential for preventing genocide in the future,” he told the concluding ceremony of 5th international conference on “Bangladesh Genocide and Justice” at Liberation War Museum in the city’s Agargaon on Sunday.
Huq added: “Ensuring justice for the victims and ending impunity must to take place.”
The minister simultaneously reiterated call for UN declaration of March 25 as International Genocide Day saying “It’s now time for global community and world conscience to recognize March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’ (and) let’s not keep 1971’s genocide as a ‘forgotten genocide'”.
“History of genocides must be remembered and perpetrators of international crimes must be made accountable through a justice process, what Bangladesh is doing now,” he said.
The three-day conference drew jurists, historians and rights activists and its concluding session was joined by Argentine judge Carlos Rozanski and Prof Daniel Feierstein, Canadian Prof Adam Jones, Dr Helen Jarvis of Cambodia, Prof Alexander Hinton of the US, former archivist of the US Trudy H Peterson, among others.
The minister said the government contemplated archiving of tribunal documents and tribunal premises itself to preserve its historical importance.
“As many foreign delegates are present here, through you, I request the international community to come forward with the hands of cooperation in preserving the history of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal,” he said.
Huq said Bangladesh’s International Crimes tribunal contributed significantly to provide the justice and particularly addressed the international crime of sexual violence by taking rape victims and war children’s testimony as oral evidences.
“This Tribunal is important not only for its fair trial process and successful conviction rate, but also for establishing the truth relating to the past international crimes,” he added.
