United Nations Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng urged on Sunday the world community to put pressure on Myanmar to take back its nationals from Bangladesh.
Expressing his firm belief that crimes against humanity were committed in Myanmar, he said the International Court of Justice would someday prove that genocide was committed in Myanmar.
He made the comments while addressing a seminar on '1971 Genocide in Bangladesh' held at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the city. Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque moderated the seminar.
Mr Dieng said the UN forecast the symptoms of mass atrocities long ago. If the world community acted in time when the first sign was exhibited, the atrocities in Rakhine as well as Rohingya crisis could be averted, he said.
"When the alarm is heard, when we see the first sign as it is much less costly in all aspects including saving of human lives."
He said, "Remember every year billions of dollars are spent on humanitarian responses and peace building. This money can be used for sustainable development, if the international community could prevent these atrocities in time."
He also pointed out that prevention of genocide was a legal responsibility for all countries.
Though Myanmar signed an agreement with Bangladesh, they were not fulfilling their commitment to create an environment conducive to ensuring safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya, he said.
Barrister Amir ul Islam said the Myanmar case was a clear genocide, but no action was yet to be taken.
He mentioned that Bangladesh could not try 195 Pakistani war criminals due to pressure from the world community including the UN.
Referring to the genocide that took place in 1971, Mr Dieng also said, "We recognised the pain and agony you faced."
"For so many years, we have been calling the global community to pay attention to the Rohingyas."
In Myanmar case, he said, they rang the alarm bell to take action against the atrocities but the world failed to respond in time.
"Preventions start with educating ourselves so that we can stop genocide from repeating such atrocious crimes," he added.
"Genocide is not an event which takes place overnight, it requires planning, resources and takes long time."
He noted that identifying the root causes and symptoms could help prevent genocide as prevention becomes more costly and complicated if "we fail to track the symptom at early stage".
Mofidul Huq, director at Centre for Genocide Studies and one of the founders of Liberation War Museum, shared some salient features of the genocide committed in 1971 in Bangladesh.
The genocide was very much focused in the international arena but the UN was apparently reluctant to address the issue, he said.
After Liberation War, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman urged the world community to try those who were responsible for the genocide in Bangladesh.
But from the global community, pressure was put on Bangladesh not to go ahead with the demand.
After 2008, young generations advanced the cause along with the then government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.
"The core of the issue was using the religion against Bengali nationals to treat them as enemies."
"The incidents in New Zealand, Syria and Yemen and other parts show that the world is still to learn the ideals of coexistence and harmony."
"In our case, we have set a unique example of humanity by providing shelter to over one million Rohingya people who have been victims of mass atrocities in their homeland in Myanmar," he said.
BIISS Director General Major General Abdur Rahman and its chairman Ambassador Munshi Foyaz Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
Referring to the UN charter, Mr Rahman said there is plenty of evidences that genocide was committed in Bangladeshi during 1971 by Pakistani forces.
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