An infamous decree that was first implemented by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and later institutionalized by succeeding military governments and contributed to the protection of the murderers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the majority of his family, according to researchers, is at the root of Bangladesh’s long tradition of impunity.
According to Ekushey Padak-winning journalist Ajoy Das Gupta, this black law was created 40 days after the horrifying death of the nation’s founding father with the sole purpose of shielding the murderers from the reach of the law.
The Indemnity Ordinance was first introduced on September 26, 1975, by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, who immediately after Bangabandhu’s death seized state authority and assumed the presidency.
The Indemnity Ordinance was maintained after Mostaq’s tenure, which lasted until November 6, 1975. Gen Ziaur Rahman, who later created Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), also embraced killers of the Father of the Nation by granting them posts in Bangladesh missions across the world.
Not only were those murderers granted immunity, they were also permitted to run newspapers, form political parties, and seek for public office—possibly the clearest violation of human rights and mocking the concept of freedom earned with a sea of blood.
After Bangabandhu was killed, Zia, who had been the deputy army chief in 1975, moved to the position of army chief. Zia even permitted the murderers to occupy high-ranking government positions and mingle with foreign intelligence services who were working to undermine Bangladesh.
Self-confessed murderer, Col Faruque, was permitted to run for president in the 1986 elections during the administration of the second military dictator Ershad, and he even used the national broadcast channel and radio to deliver his speech to the nation. Bazlul Huda, another Mujib killer, also made it to the legislature.
According to Ajoy Das Gupta, Khaleda Zia was instrumental in the “Freedom Party” taking shape. Major Rashid, another self-confessed Bangabandhu killer, was elected to the parliament for a limited time following the contentious polls on February 15, 1996.
Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who managed to survive because they were abroad on that terrible night, continued to carry the burden of injustice up until 1996.
Only after she was voted back to power in 1996, Sheikh Hasina went ahead to get the trial started under the due process of law. Some of the killers were brought to book after she returned to power in 2009.
Nevertheless, despite the repeated cries of Bangladesh’s pro-liberation citizens and the family of Mujib, some of those murderers are still able to find refuge in countries like the US and the UK. And yet, these countries have the audacity to lecture Bangladesh on human rights.