Global rights group revives focus on religious persecution of minorities during 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War

Dhaka, July 11 (IANS) While Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan has long been associated with mass killings, displacement and systematic repression, Brussels-based Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) said that the religious dimension of the violence remains insufficiently recognised. The organisation noted that Hindu communities were disproportionately targeted and persecuted on the basis of their religious identity, a report has stated.

The debate over formally recognising the violence committed by the Pakistani forces during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War as genocide has resurfaced at the United Nations following a statement by HRWF on July 3. Although the issue is not new, its renewed prominence reflects a broader shift in global human rights discourse, with increasing emphasis on addressing historical injustices that continue to shape present-day vulnerabilities, according to a report in Eurasia Review.

“Commenting as the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council took place, HRWF director Willy Fautre framed the issue not as a matter of retrospective classification, but as a pressing concern for present-day religious freedom. His intervention highlights an increasingly prominent idea within global governance—that accountability for past atrocities is inseparable from the protection of rights today,” it added.

The report noted that the failure to fully recognise the religious aspect of the 1971 atrocities continues to have repercussions in the present.

Citing HRWF, it said that “the absence of formal recognition contributes to a fragmented historical narrative”, leaving experiences of minority communities at risk of being overlooked and undermining the efforts to strengthen protections for them.

According to the report, religious minorities in Bangladesh—including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians—continue to face persistent challenges, ranging from “land dispossession to periodic outbreaks of communal violence”.

HRWF Director Fautre argued that addressing the vulnerabilities requires confronting their historical roots.

“Recognition, in this context, is not simply symbolic. It functions as a mechanism of prevention. By formally acknowledging that the violence of 1971 included systematic persecution on religious grounds, the international community would reinforce norms against identity-based violence. It would also send a clear signal that such crimes—whether past or present—will not be overlooked or minimised,” the report detailed.

As global debates over historical accountability regained momentum, it said, the re-emergence of the Bangladesh case at the UN underscores a persistent challenge in international relations: reconciling the pursuit of justice with the political realities.

“Yet it also offers an opportunity. By engaging seriously with the question of recognition, the international community can move closer to a more consistent and principled approach to both memory and prevention. In this sense, recognising the 1971 violence as genocide is not only about the past. It is about defining the standards by which the present — and future — will be judged,” the report noted.

–IANS

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