'Mass murder' not 'genocide' took place in July, clarifies ICT chief prosecutor
He says ‘genocide’ primarily refers to ethnic cleansing form of mass killing
What occurred during the mass uprising in July-August last year was "mass murder", not "genocide", International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said today (13 May).
"Mass murder means massacre/mass killing. 'Genocide' primarily refers to the ethnic cleansing form of mass killing. In July, mass murder occurred in Bangladesh – it was not a genocide," he wrote in a post on Facebook.
He also urged people not to spread confusion over the distinction.
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Tajul made the clarification following misunderstandings surrounding a statement he made on Monday about the killings carried out by the ousted Awami League regime across the country in July and August.
The ICT investigation agency on Monday submitted a report to the prosecution team, accusing ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others of committing crimes against humanity in connection with the killing of over 1,000 people during the uprising.
Talking to reporters afterwards, Tajul said in response to a question that the crimes committed in Bangladesh fall under the category of crimes against humanity, as defined under international law.
He clarified that the incidents involved "mass killings or massacres", not "genocide".
However, confusion arose as both English terms – genocide and mass murder – are often translated into Bangla as "gonohottya".
As a result, some Bangla media outlets mistakenly reported that Tajul said no "gonohotya" took place during that period, sparking outrage on social media.
