Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini

Background After the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War, there was a violent insurgency led by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal to replace the elected revolutionary government of the newly independent country with a "scientific socialist" system of government inspired by Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China through the uses of private militias formed by left-wing army commanders who fought in the war, such as Colonel Abu Taher. During the Liberation War of Bangladesh, numerous civilians joined the war after being trained by the Indian forces. Tajuddin Ahmad felt these people should come under national service as they had arms and training. Tajuddin Ahmad asked Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to form a para-military force for them. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman primarily rejected the proposal but soon realized the necessity of an elite force, because many police officers died in the Bangladesh Liberation War. Whenever rebels attacked them in their office, they were outnumbered. The article also quoted one of its commanders, Ali Ashraf Chowdhury: "We will never lay down our arms until our social ideals have been realized". Moidul Hassan wrote, However, this is at least partially inaccurate as Pakistani President Bhutto did not release Sheikh Mujibur Rahman "without any condition". Indeed, at the direction of Indira Gandhi, who was desperate to keep Sheikh Mujibur Rahman alive and to free him, some 90,000 Pakistani POWs (including thousands of women and children civilians) were housed in comfort and released without extradition or charges despite massive and manifest human rights violations against both Bengali Muslims and Hindus during the War of Liberation. In Savar camp there was three additional battalions who were called Recruit Battalion. These three battalions were directly supervised by Major Bala Reddy. Formation On 3 January 1972, naming prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad as the chairman, the Bangladesh government announced the names of the ten members of the Central Regulating Board of the National Militia. The members were: • Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani (chairman, National Awami Party (Bhashani)) • Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman (home minister, People's Republic of Bangladesh) • Manoranjan Dhar (member of National Assembly, Awami League) • Moni Singh (chairman, Communist Party of Bangladesh) • Professor Muzaffar Ahmed (president, National Awami Party (Muzaffar)) • Gazi Golam Mostafa (member of Provincial Assembly, Awami League) • Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan (member of Provincial Assembly, Awami League) • Tofael Ahmed (member of National Assembly, Awami League) • Abdur Razzaq (member of Provincial Assembly, Awami League) • Captain (retd.) Muhammad Shujat Ali (member of Provincial Assembly, Awami League). Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, wanted to merge the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini, with the Bangladesh Rifles but the Bangladesh Rifles personnel stiffly opposed the move in a commotion that resulted in a mutiny. This plan was then abandoned. The Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini Order (President's order No. 21) of 1972 provided for the establishment of the force and set out its responsibilities and powers. The presidential order, published on 7 March, was retroactive to 1 February. Political opponents of the Awami League allege that the Rakkhi Bahini was made to replace the army. The Rakkhi Bahini had automatic weapons, steel helmets, jeeps, trucks etc. It also gives officers the right of search and seizure in connection with any reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed. Article 3 of the act says, After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman When Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed on 15 August 1975 by members of the Bangladesh Army, the Rakkhi Bahini was very inactive. After the death of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the force was absorbed in Bangladesh Army after the "Jatiyo Rokkhi Bahini Absorption Act, 1975 came into effect. It was issued on 9 October 1975 and was in effect from 3 September 1975. The director general of the force Brigadier Nuruzzaman was appointed as an ambassador after the force was absorbed. ==Organization==

Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini had a complete table of organization which was circulated on 8 March 1972 by a gazette notification. The chief of the force was known as director general. His five deputies were known as Deputy Director General. In reality, the Rakkhi Bahini was under the direct control of the prime minister's office and attached to the local Awami League units. In time, the government planned to place each unit under the command of a district governor. Brigadier A. N. M. Nuruzzaman was appointed as the director general while Major Anwar Ul Alam Shahid (deputy director, Training), Lieutenant Colonel Abul Hasan Khan (deputy director, administration), Lieutenant Colonel Sarwar (deputy director, operations), Lieutenant Colonel Sabihuddin Ahmed (deputy director, signals), Lieutenant Colonel Azizul Islam (deputy director, Zonal Headquarters of Chittagong) and Lieutenant Colonel A M Khan (deputy director, medical) were his six deputies. The bulk of the Rakkhi Bahini personnel were recruited from the Mujib Bahini, a militia force that was formed during the concluding part of Liberation War and was under direct Indian supervision. The basic training of the force officers candidates were given in Indian Military Academy, and at Savar camp, under the supervision of Indian military officer named Major Bala Reddy. == Human rights abuses ==

The Rakkhi Bahini committed various human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killing, forced disappearances, shooting by death squads, and rape. 1974 famine When the famine started, millions of people came to the capital from villages in search of food. The government decided to drive the poor and have-nots out of the capital as it was embarrassed in front of international community with the famine. On 3 January Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini was deployed to 'Clean Dhaka' depriving the poor-beggars and the destitute from the city. In this operation about 200,000 have-nots and slum dwellers were taken away from the capital and were forced either to return to their villages or to be moved to the three camps. The camps were hastily laid out several miles from the city. Condition of the camps was disastrous. Amongst the three camps, the camp of Demra was the most appalling one, in where Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini gathered about 50,000 people. Those people were ill-treated and sometimes they felt that death is a better solution. During the regime of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman thousands of youths were killed due to the suspicion of having connection with JASAD by Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini. Among them a leader of Bangladesh Krishak League central committee and a teacher of Nawabganj High School Siddiqur Rahman Khan was killed on 10 October 1972. On 17 September 1973 JASAD Student's League leader Bablu, Robi, Ebadat Ali, Motaleb, Kalu and many other were killed in daylight by Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini. He was educated in EPUET, now which is known as BUET. After the liberation war he started his mission to establish a socialist society. During the liberation war on 3 June he established the Proletarian Party of East Bengal. On the first congress of the party he was elected as the party's president on 14 January 1972. Other incidents Aruna Sen the wife of politician Shanti Sen, was detained by the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini, along with her relative Chanchal Sen. She was subjected to torture while in captivity. Aruna Sen published a statement regarding her captivity in the 17 March edition of Weekly Holiday and in the June edition of Monthly Sangskriti in 1974. After Aruna Sen was detained, a writ was filed at Supreme Court. The court asked Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini to present her in front of the court and prove her detention legal. They presented her but failed to support the legality of the detention. Shahjahan was an 18-year-old boy from what is now Naria Upazila of Faridpur District. He was arrested in Dhaka on 28 December 1973 and handed over to the Rakkhi Bahini at their request. He was not seen again after 2 January 1974, when his brother said he saw him in custody at Rakkhi Bahini headquarters. His brother petitioned the court for a writ of habeas corpus, challenging the legality of Shahjahan's detention. The Rakkhi Bahini responded that Shahjahan had escaped on 29 December, so was not in detention and could not be brought to the court. On cross examination, officers said the organization followed no regulations or procedure. They kept no records of their searches, seizures, arrests, or other activities. Former prime minister Moudud Ahmed believes that because Shahjahan allegedly belonged to the student wing of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, an opposition political party, the Rakkhi Bahini killed him and secretly disposed of his body. Without evidence, however, the Rakkhi Bahini could not be held to account. The court held that the Rakkhi Bahini version of events was "a pure concoction" that "demonstrates complete disregard of the law of the country." In May 1974, Justice Debesh Bhattacharya, condemned the organization in his verdict, stating: The court urged the government to hold an enquiry into the whereabouts of Shahjahan, but none was ever undertaken. Ayesha Faiz is the widow of Faizur Rahman and the mother of novelists Humayun Ahmed and Muhammad Zafar Iqbal. A house in Babar Road of Mohammadpur was allotted to her by the government for her husband. But just after three days she was kicked out of the house with her family by a Subedar Major of Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini. Ayesha Faiz left the home with her children. She later recalled: "Once I was made refugee by the Pakistan Army of occupation. The second time it was done by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Jatiyo Rakkhi Bahini. While Rakkhi Bahini gained the notoriety of assaulting and attacking workers in industries and factories, one particular incident caught national attention back then. It was a road-rage incident from Rakkhi Bahini. On June 29, 1973, a passenger bus overtook a Rakkhi Bahini truck. This allegedly enraged the force's personnel, and they surrounded the bus. Due to pressure from bystanders and passengers, they were forced to let the bus go. However, soon they followed the bus and opened fire at the Chittagong Eastern Refinery. Four people reportedly died and several were injured. ==Legacy==

Human rights abuse Human Rights Watch states that institutionalized violence committed by the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini, established the culture of impunity and widespread prevalence of abuses by security forces in independent Bangladesh. Pro-Awami columnist Syed Badrul Ahsan defends its actions, but acknowledges "it would have been more effective and effectual, more properly indoctrinated in the spirit of the 1971 war, history would have been different." and The Daily Star remarked: '...a poignant political tale... Imam has shown a lot of courage in dealing with one of the most tumultuous and controversial phases of independent Bangladesh's history.' ==See also==