Al-Badr (East Pakistan): Difference between revisions
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Together with the [[Razakars (Pakistan)|Razakar]] and [[Al-Shams (Bangladesh)|Al-Shams]], Al-Badr was formed in order to counter the guerrilla activities of the [[Mukti Bahini]] which grew increasingly organised and militarily successful during in the second half of 1971. All three groups operated under Pakistani command,<ref>Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina’s parliamentary speech given on 16 April 1992 on the subject of Golam Azam and the public tribunal, in DOCUMENTS ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITTED BY PAKISTAN ARMY AND THEIR AGENTS IN BANGLADESH DURING 1971 137 (1999–2002)</ref> |
Together with the [[Razakars (Pakistan)|Razakar]] and [[Al-Shams (Bangladesh)|Al-Shams]], Al-Badr was formed in order to counter the guerrilla activities of the [[Mukti Bahini]] which grew increasingly organised and militarily successful during in the second half of 1971. All three groups operated under Pakistani command,<ref>Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina’s parliamentary speech given on 16 April 1992 on the subject of Golam Azam and the public tribunal, in DOCUMENTS ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITTED BY PAKISTAN ARMY AND THEIR AGENTS IN BANGLADESH DURING 1971 137 (1999–2002)</ref> |
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<nowiki>==Organisation==</nowiki> |
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<nowiki>Citing excerpts from Hussain Haqqani’s (Pakistani diplomatic) book,'Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military', journalist and researcher AzadurRahman said in his book, The Jamaat-e-Islami and especially its student wing,the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba [IJT], joined the military’s effort in May 1971 tolaunch two paramilitary counterinsurgency units.'... 'The IJT provided a largenumber of recruits….The two special brigades of Islamists cadres were namedAl-Shams and Al-Badr…. A separate Razakars Directorate was established… Twoseparate wings called Al-Badr and Al-Shams were recognised... 'Well educatedand properly motivated students from schools and madrasas were put in Al-Badrwing, where they were trained to undertake specialised operations… theremainder were grouped together under Al-Shams.' <ref name="chandan">{{cite book |title=একাত্তরের ঘাতক ও দালালরা |trans_title= The Killers and Collaborators of 71 |last=Chandan |first=Azadur Rahman |year=2011 |month=February |origyear=2009 |edition=Revised 2nd |publisher=Jatiya Sahitya Prakash |location=Dhaka |isbn=984-70000-0121-4 |pages=48–54}}</ref></nowiki> |
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== Leaders of Al-Badr == |
== Leaders of Al-Badr == |
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* [[Motiur Rahman Nizami]]<ref name=Karlekar>{{cite book|last=Karlekar|first=Hiranmay|title=Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan?|year=2005|publisher=Sage|isbn=978-0761934011|page=152|date=13|month=December}}</ref> |
* [[Motiur Rahman Nizami]]<ref name=Karlekar>{{cite book|last=Karlekar|first=Hiranmay|title=Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan?|year=2005|publisher=Sage|isbn=978-0761934011|page=152|date=13|month=December}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 13:59, 5 July 2013
The Al-Badr (Bengali: আল বদর, originally from the Arabic: البدر meaning full moon) was a paramilitary wing of the West Pakistan Army, which operated in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) against the Bengali nationalist movement during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[1]
Members of Al-Badr were recruited from public schools and madrasas (religious schools). The unit was used for raids and special operations;[1] the West Pakistan army command initially planned to use the locally recruited militias (Al-Badr, Razakar, Al-Shams) for policing cities of East Pakistan, and regular army units to defend the border with India.[2] Most members of Al-Badr appear to have been Biharis.[3]
Background
The name of the paramilitary formation, Al-Badr, may refer to the Battle of Badr.
Together with the Razakar and Al-Shams, Al-Badr was formed in order to counter the guerrilla activities of the Mukti Bahini which grew increasingly organised and militarily successful during in the second half of 1971. All three groups operated under Pakistani command,[4]
==Organisation==
Citing excerpts from Hussain Haqqani’s (Pakistani diplomatic) book,'Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military', journalist and researcher AzadurRahman said in his book, The Jamaat-e-Islami and especially its student wing,the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba [IJT], joined the military’s effort in May 1971 tolaunch two paramilitary counterinsurgency units.'... 'The IJT provided a largenumber of recruits….The two special brigades of Islamists cadres were namedAl-Shams and Al-Badr…. A separate Razakars Directorate was established… Twoseparate wings called Al-Badr and Al-Shams were recognised... 'Well educatedand properly motivated students from schools and madrasas were put in Al-Badrwing, where they were trained to undertake specialised operations… theremainder were grouped together under Al-Shams.' <ref name="chandan">{{cite book |title=একাত্তরের ঘাতক ও দালালরা |trans_title= The Killers and Collaborators of 71 |last=Chandan |first=Azadur Rahman |year=2011 |month=February |origyear=2009 |edition=Revised 2nd |publisher=Jatiya Sahitya Prakash |location=Dhaka |isbn=984-70000-0121-4 |pages=48–54}}</ref>
Leaders of Al-Badr
Abolition
After the surrender of the West Pakistani army on December 16, 1971, Al-Badr was dissolved together with the Razakar and Al-Shams. Many of the members of this elite unit were arrested. However during the time of President Ziaur Rahman, all of the collaborators including Al Badr were pardoned.
Allegations of war crimes
It is alleged that Al-Badr perpetrated atrocities against civilians during the war of 1971, in particular, the massacre of intellectuals in Dhaka that occurred on December 15, 1971.[6] According to journalist Azadur Rahman Chandan The Al-Badr was experimentally launched in Sherpur, Mymensingh on April 1971 as a voluntary force with Islami Chhatra Sangha activists as its first recruits to wage war against the freedom fighters. They were enlisted and trained under the guidance of Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, the assistant secretary general of Jamaat. [7]
References
- ^ a b R. Sisson and L. E. Rose. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh, University of California Press, 1990, p. 165.
- ^ A. R. Siddiqui, East Pakistan - the Endgame: An Onlooker's Journal 1969-1971, Oxford University Press, 2004.
- ^ Siddiqui 1990, p. 153.
- ^ Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina’s parliamentary speech given on 16 April 1992 on the subject of Golam Azam and the public tribunal, in DOCUMENTS ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITTED BY PAKISTAN ARMY AND THEIR AGENTS IN BANGLADESH DURING 1971 137 (1999–2002)
- ^ Karlekar, Hiranmay (13). Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan?. Sage. p. 152. ISBN 978-0761934011.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ P. Hazelhurst in The Times, Jan 3, 1972, p. 4.
- ^ Chandan, Azadur Rahman (2011) [2009]. একাত্তরের ঘাতক ও দালালরা (Revised 2nd ed.). Dhaka: Jatiya Sahitya Prakash. pp. 48–54. ISBN 984-70000-0121-4.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid prefix (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help)
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