Human Rights organisation appeals to recognise ‘Bangladesh’s 1971 genocide’ at UN

New Delhi: During the recently concluded 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Without Frontiers raised the need to recognise the mass atrocities committed in Bangladesh in 1971 as “genocide”.

“It was a deliberate effort to connect past injustice with present-day human rights concerns — particularly the protection of freedom of religion or belief,” wrote Willy Fautre, Founder of Human Rights Without Frontiers (Belgium), in ‘Modern Diplomacy’.

While the 1971 Bangladesh’s war of independence is widely known for mass killings and displacement, according to the report, the “systematic targeting of religious and ethnic minorities”, often escapes attention.

“Hindu communities, in particular, were singled out, identified, and persecuted on the basis of their religious identity. This was not incidental. It was part of a pattern of violence that used religion as a marker for exclusion and destruction,” Willy Fautre noted.

For Human Rights Without Frontiers, if these atrocities are not recognised as genocide, “historical narratives remain incomplete, and the suffering of affected communities risk being marginalised or forgotten”.

It asserts that it is important to ensure that the religious dimension of the violence is not overlooked since it has “direct implications for the present and the future”.

As religious minorities in Bangladesh — including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians — continue to face discrimination, land dispossession, and periodic violence, “a lack of historical accountability can contribute to an environment in which violations are insufficiently recognised or inadequately prevented. It weakens the normative framework needed to protect vulnerable communities and risks perpetuating a culture of impunity,” the report said.

The author affirms that by raising the issue of the 1971 genocide, Human Rights Without Frontiers sought to situate Bangladesh within a broader conversation about accountability, prevention, and the protection of fundamental freedoms.

“By formally acknowledging that the violence of 1971 included systematic persecution on religious grounds, the international community reinforces a clear principle: that identity-based violence will not be ignored, whether it occurs in the past or the present. It strengthens global norms against mass atrocities and contributes to a more consistent and credible human rights framework.”

Moreover, the report in ‘Modern Diplomacy’ emphasises that recognition of the past bruises can play a “constructive role” within Bangladesh itself like supporting efforts in education, documentation, memorialisation and helping to foster a more inclusive understanding of national history.

IANS