Throughout history, oppressors have often shown little remorse or regret for actions that caused great sufferings to others. Many rulers and regimes see a lack of repentance as a sign of strength and even justify their harsh measures. Some people support these actions, believing that brutality is necessary for ideology, religion or sovereignty. In many cases, these brutal actions have escalated into mass killings, ethnic cleansing and even genocide--- all under the claim of fighting enemies.
Thirty years ago, the world saw the genocide in Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia. In July 1995, after a month-long siege, Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniak men under orders from Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and military leader Ratko Mladic. The Serb units separated men and boys from women and children, and then executed them at various sites around Srebrenica. Their bodies were buried in mass graves, and about 20,000 women, children, and elderly people were forced to leave. In 2015, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognised the 1995 killings in Srebrenica as genocide. Karadzic and Mladic were convicted and sentenced to life in prison after a long trial supported by the international community. Still, both men are seen as national heroes in Serbia today and many Serbians remain unremorseful about what happened in Bosnia three decades ago.
Fifty-five years ago, in 1971, the Pakistani army carried out mass killings in East Pakistan, which led the Bengalis to take up arms in self-defence. Over nine months of war, three million Bengalis were killed, and two hundred thousand women suffered violence by the occupying army. Despite these atrocities, which ended with the creation of independent Bangladesh on December 16, most people in West Pakistan ignored or denied what happened. The prevailing attitude was that the rebels had to be crushed. Although the Pakistani army committed genocide in Bangladesh in 1971, international recognition remains limited. Those responsible for planning and carrying out the genocide have never admitted their crimes or apologised. Dr Mokerrom Hossain, in his book 'From Protest to Freedom: The Birth of Bangladesh,' wrote: "The genocide of Pakistanis against Bengalis took place after the world accepted a resolution against genocide. General Yahya, General Niazi, General Forman Ali and General Tikka Khan of Pakistan were never indicted for genocide or for war crimes in the International Court of Justice." (P-235)
Most Pakistanis, like many Serbians, follow their leaders in not showing remorse for the 1971 atrocities. Only a small number believe Pakistan should formally admit to the crimes and apologise to Bangladesh. Even in Bangladesh, some people try to downplay the suffering of millions by supporting those responsible for the violence.
Bangladesh has also seen two autocratic rulers and their supporters who showed no remorse. HM Ershad took power in 1982 by ousting a democratically elected government and imposing martial law. After he was removed from office on December 6, 1990, he never apologised for his actions during his nine years in power. Ershad was tried and imprisoned for a few years but was later released.
Sheikh Hasina led the country for about 16 years after winning a democratic election. Over time, she became more authoritarian and weakened the country's democratic institutions. Her government, supported by New Delhi, caused great suffering to thousands of people. She encouraged corruption and allowed her allies to misappropriate the national resources. Years of growing public anger finally led to a mass uprising in 2024, forcing Hasina to step down and seek refuge in New Delhi on August 5. During the student-led mass protests, at least 1,400 people were killed, and around 20,000 were injured. Still, Hasina and her supporters at home and abroad have not shown remorse for the violence, corruption, or suppression of dissent.
Like unremorseful Serbians or Pakistanis who deny the genocide in Srebrenica and Bangladesh respectively, the supporters of Hasina also deny any atrocity by their leader. The comparison may be harsh. Nevertheless, it reflects a pattern of those who unconditionally support the tyrants.
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