• Source: East Pakistan Central Peace Committee

East Pakistan Central Peace Committee was one of several committees formed in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971 to aid efforts of Pakistani forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Nurul Amin, as a leader of Pakistan Democratic Party, led the formation of the Shanti Committee to thwart the Mukti Bahini, which fought for the liberation of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Genocide Remembrance Day is held in the memory of victims of 1971 Bangladesh genocide and massacre by Pakistan Army and organisations created and abetted by Pakistan Army such as Razakars (and its wings Al-Badr & Al-Shams) and the so-called "East Pakistan Central Peace Committee".




Background


On 25 March 1971, the war in East Pakistan began. On 4 April 1971, twelve pro-Pakistan leaders, including Nurul Amin, Ghulam Azam and Khwaja Khairuddin, met General Tikka Khan of the Pakistan Army and assured him of co-operation in opposing the Bengali rebellion. After subsequent meetings, they announced the formation of the Citizen Peace Committee, with 140 members. The first recruits included 96 Jamaat-e-Islami members, who started training in an Ansar camp at Khanjahan Ali Road, Khulna. The Shanti Committee is also alleged to have recruited Razakars.




History


The leaders of the East Pakistan Central Peace Committee called on citizens of Pakistan to defend Pakistan from "Indian aggression", as India was accused of supporting the Bangladesh liberation movement. The Peace Committee organised a rally from Baitul Mukarram to Chawkbazar Mosque on 13 April. The rally was to end with a meeting near New Market. At the end of the rally, participants began rioting in Azimpur, Shantinagar and Shankhari Bazar areas. They set fire to the houses of known people supportive of liberation and killed some.
The Peace Committee spread throughout East Pakistan, reaching even rural villages. Compared to the indiscriminate killing of Pakistan Army, the Peace Committee were more specific and guided by lists, they made of opponents. The members of Peace Committee were feared and hated by the population of East Pakistan. Peace committee members were killed during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
On 14 April, at a meeting in Dhaka, the Citizen Peace Committee renamed itself as the East Pakistan Central Peace Committee. A working committee was formed consisting of 21 members. They set up an office in Maghbazar. The Peace Committee appointed one or more liaison officers for the different police station areas of Dhaka. On 17 April 1971, the members of the peace committee apprised Governor Tikka Khan of the progress made by them toward restoring normalcy and confidence among the citizens. The central peace committee was being deputed to the district and divisional headquarters throughout east Pakistan. The peace committee in Munshiganj gave a grand reception to the West Pakistani militaries on 11 May 1971.
According to the historian Azadur Rahman Chandan in his 2011 book about the war, the Peace Committee was the first organisation to be set up by local residents who collaborated with Pakistan. Its members were drawn from the political parties of the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami, which thought an independent Bangladesh was against Islam; as well as the Urdu-speaking Biharis.




Genocide


The victims of Bangladesh genocide (1971) are remembered by the annual national Bangladesh Genocide Remembrance Day, the perpetrators were the

Al Badr
Al Shams
Pakistan Armed Forces
Razakars
East Pakistan Central Peace Committee
Mujahid Bahini




Abolition


On 16 December 1971, after the end of the war, the committee was abolished.




Former members


Khwaja Khairuddin - President of the East Pakistan Council Muslim League




See also


Bangladesh genocide (1971)
Bangladesh Genocide Remembrance Day
Al Badr, perpetrator
Al Shams, perpetrator
Razakars, perpetrator
Mujahid Bahini, perpetrator
List of massacres in Bangladesh
Persecution of Biharis in Bangladesh
Persecution of Buddhists in Bangladesh
Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh
Persecution of Christians in Bangladesh
Persecution of atheists and secularists in Bangladesh




Notes






References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Indonesia
• Britania Raya
• Amerika Serikat
• Perang Dingin
• Inggris
• Nelson Mandela
• Negara Islam Irak dan Syam
• Korea Utara
• Perang Enam Hari
• Sankt-Peterburg
• East Pakistan Central Peace Committee
• Razakars (Pakistan)
• Peace committee
• Al-Shams (East Pakistan)
• Al-Badr (East Pakistan)
• Ghulam Azam
• Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury
• Farid Ahmad
• Bangladesh Liberation War
• Mujahid Bahini (East Pakistan)