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Bangladeshis living in Switzerland gathered in front of the United Nations office in Geneva to seek justice against the 1971 genocide by Pakistan.
The protest was held to mark 50 years of Bangladesh liberation war victory over Pakistan. Few protesters gathered at the venue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also displayed banners saying 'perpetrators of genocide must be tried', 'Pakistani army and their abettors raped 200,000 women during the liberation war of Bangladesh' and 'recognise Bangladesh genocide of 1971'. Rahman Khalilur Mamun, President of the International Forum for Secular Bangladesh said, "December 16 is the Independence Day celebration for Bangladesh. We have celebrated and observed this day because 50 years ago, in 1971, Pakistan generals surrendered to the Indian army and Bangladesh Liberation Force. So, we are very proud of this day and expanding International Court of Justice and UN Human Rights Commission to recognise the genocide of 1971." Shazia Sultan, a Bangladeshi Human Rights Activist based in Geneva, said, "We are celebrating 50 years of Bangladesh Independence and as a Bangladeshi, I feel proud today. I pay respect to those Bangladeshi women who were killed and raped during the liberation war. I respect all freedom fighters. I want this day to be recognised as a genocide by Pakistan." Another protester Nazrul Islam Zamader, a Senior Advisor of International Forum for Secular Bangladesh, Switzerland said, "We request United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to listen to our basic genuine demand and make brutal Pakistan army responsible for Bangladesh genocide in 1971." He added, "I appeal to International Court of Justice to declare it a genocide of 1971". On December 16, 1971, Pakistan Army surrendered to a joint India-Bangladesh force, formally making Bangladesh a new nation under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. The war began on March 26, 1971, and continued for 9 months - killing as many as three million people - before victory was declared in December. (ANI)
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