Fearing this, as the Liberation War was nearing its conclusion and the victory of the Bengali nation had become a matter of time for its liberation; amidst a global tide in support of the freedom-seeking Bengali people and widespread condemnation of Pakistani atrocities through several conspiracies, the next move by the Pakistanis was to project several top leaders of Jammat-e-Islami as representatives of the Bengali Nation in a United Nations Session. Their goal was to stop the imminent Bengali victory and block the way to freedom for Bangladesh.
The U.S. intelligence agency CIA also became actively involved in the movement to support such Pakistani conspiracy. To that end, they formed an alliance with Khandaker Mushtaq, Taheruddin Thakur, Mahbubul Alam Chashi and others, forming a right-wing clique. They aimed at two things: One, to prevent Pakistan's defeat in the Liberation War, and, two, to crush permanently Bangladesh's demands for secession. Their long-term goal was to have confederation with Pakistan. But as this conspiracy of the American intelligence with the Pakistanis came to light during the Liberation War, the leaders of the expatriate government became cautious and foiled these nefarious attempts.
This failure did not deter Jamaat-e-Islami. They continued to oppose and try to destroy the dream of an independent Bangladesh. In the battlefields, Jamaat activists actively allied themselves with the Pakistanis in heinous crimes against humanity, including rape of Bengali women, looting, and appropriation of property. Simultaneously, on the diplomatic front, they misled various nations in a bid to deter them from supporting the Liberation War and siding with the Bengali cause. In November 1971, with the Pakistani junta finding itself cornered by the relentless offensives of the freedom fighters, Jamaat-e-Islami spokesperson and Muslim League leader Shah Azizur Rahman took to the United Nations to voice support for the Pakistani regime and vehemently oppose the Bengali nation. He spewed vitriolic rhetoric against the freedom fighters and, introducing himself as a Bengali leader within the Pakistani diplomatic delegation, blatantly denied the genocidal atrocities committed by the Pakistani military in Bangladesh. He further appealed to other Muslim nations, requesting them not to recognize Bangladesh's independence.
He was later made Prime Minister by Ziaur Rahman, who usurped power, a further dramatic demonstration of the disrespect shown to the values and sacrifices of the Liberation War.
The role of Jamaat-e-Islami in the genocide that was perpetrated on Bengali nation during the War of Liberation was exposed in detail by General Rao Farman Ali, advisor to then Governor General Tikka Khan. He wrote in his book: "General Niazi would address the soldiers by referring to Bengal as enemy territory. But I contacted some leaders, and Nurul Amin, Khwaja Khair, Farid Ahmad, Shafiqul Islam, and Ghulam Azam met Tikka and formed the Peace Committee. At their behest, pro-Pakistan parties like the Muslim League, PDP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and others formed Peace Committees across the country. On April 7, in the middle of the war, they even organized a pro-Pakistan rally in Dhaka. Next, to help the Pakistani military during fighting, they formed another paramilitary force called Razakars, which provided logistics, identified freedom fighters, and guided troops around unfamiliar areas. Moreover, Niazi created the armed Al-Badr and Al-Shams militias, which provided crucial support to the Pakistani forces. These militias were led by the top leaders of Jamaat and its student wing Shibir, including Ghulam Azam, Shah Aziz, Nizami, and Mujahid.
Later, under the premiership of Khaleda Zia, these commanders—responsible for heinous crimes such as murder and rape during the war—were appointed as ministers.
The Razakar force came into being mainly to fortify the Pakistani occupation forces. By September, Pak Army had trained around 50,000 Jamaat activists. During this phase, General A.K Niazi, following the meeting with Jamaat heads called his public relation's officer, Major Siddique Salik. Salik, in his autobiography, narrated that Niazi told him: "From now on, refer to the Razakars as Al-Badr and Al-Shams. This way, their affiliation with any particular party will remain obscured."
AI summary:
The blog post discusses the alleged attempts by Jamaat-e-Islami to sabotage the victory of the Bengali nation during the Liberation War under Pakistan's directives. Here are the main points:
Pakistani Conspiracy: As the Liberation War neared its conclusion, Pakistan attempted to project Jamaat-e-Islami leaders as representatives of the Bengali nation at the United Nations to prevent Bengali victory and block Bangladesh's path to freedom.
CIA Involvement: The U.S. intelligence agency CIA allegedly supported this Pakistani conspiracy, forming an alliance with certain right-wing leaders.
Jamaat's Role: Jamaat-e-Islami actively opposed the independence of Bangladesh, both on the battlefield and diplomatically, committing crimes against humanity and misleading other nations.
UN Speech: In November 1971, Jamaat-e-Islami spokesperson Shah Azizur Rahman spoke at the United Nations, denying Pakistani atrocities and urging Muslim nations not to recognize Bangladesh's independence.
Formation of Militias: Jamaat-e-Islami leaders formed paramilitary forces like Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams to support the Pakistani military, committing various atrocities during the war.