EXPOSE AND PROFILES: Like the genocide, we really have no idea about number of perpetrators, belonged to local and Pakistan army varieties. How many Razakars ( para-military force established by law), were in Al-Badars, in Al-Shams or in members of Shanti Committee? How many Pakistani soldiers carried out genocide in Bangladesh? Number of Pakistanis taken as Prisoners of War was differently stated, but what about others, those left before them?
In my recent article, 200 named war criminals of Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy, who planned and prosecuted genocide in Bangladesh in 1971, have been exposed. The list included one Lieutenant General, five Major Generals, twenty Brigadiers, five colonels, thirty-nine Lieutenant Colonels, eighty-one Majors, forty-one Captains, two lieutenants, one Air Commodore and Rear Admirals, among others. Summery of accusations and charges against some of them has also been there.
What to done now is to prepare individual profile of all the war criminals and the top collaborators, and gather and compile as much information about them as possible. After individual profile is complete only then the step should be considered.
PROSECUTION AND PUNISHMENT: The world is a changed place now, as cold war has ended. The global communication has developed so much so that prosecution of a war criminal, though very hard, but still is possible. In the case of Pakistani war criminals and collaborators, many of them are already being naturally extinct, prosecuting them either at national or foreign forums, are possible.
If General Pinochet could be detained, then there is no reason why General Niazi, though 83 now, cannot be questioned about Bangladesh, during his next visits to US or Europe.
CONCLUSION: A nation that fought so valiantly against the occupying Pakistani forces cannot fail in their efforts to get answers from the war criminals and collaborators. The job is perhaps much harder without government support, but then again, individuals have made difference, and there is no reason why this cannot be done again and again.

The writer teaches law at Brussels Catholic University and heads Bangladesh Centre for Genocide Studies.

** The article first appeared in the Law Page of The Daily Star