Bangladeshis United to Seek Justice for War Crimes

The Shahbag Mass Movement of 2013 in Bangladesh began on February 5, 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with the demand of capital punishment for Abdul Quader Mollah and all other accused war criminals of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. On February 5, 2013, the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Mollah to life in prison because he was proven guilty of committing genocide, murder and rape (including rape of underage girls) during the liberation war. Mollah was found guilty of being behind a series of killings including large-scale massacres in the Mirpur area of Dhaka, which earned him the nickname of "Mirpurer Kosai (মিরপুরের কসাই)" - Butcher of Mirpur. The movement began at the Shahbag intersection in the heart of Dhaka city. The intersection was soon referred by participants and media as Projonmo Chottor (প্রজন্ম চত্ত্বর), or Generation Circle (English translation), which hints at the spontaneous protests and mass movement of youth. Thousands have been holding vigil at Shahbag demanding that they will not leave the streets until Mollah receives capital punishment.