Collaborators Tribunal Order, 1972

Collaborators Tribunal Order, 1972 was promulgated on 24 January 1972. The pro-Pakistani people of East Pakistan opposed to the War of Liberation, including the razakar, al-badr and al-shams forces and the members of peace committees were formally declared as collaborators in the Bangladesh Collaborators Special Tribunal Order. In the Ordinance, a collaborator was defined as a person who was found (i) to have helped, cooperated with or supported the Pakistan army in maintaining their unlawful occupation in Bangladesh; (ii) to have offered substantial cooperation to the Pakistan army directly or indirectly or to have helped the occupation army through speeches or statements, agreements and activities; (iii) to have fought or have attempted to fight against Bangladesh; (iv) to have given any statement or have participated in any campaign in favour of the Pakistan army, and to have been a member of any delegation or a committee of that army, and to have participated in the by-elections held in 1971.

Although collaborators were declared liable for trial as war criminals, a general amnesty was declared for them on 16 December 1973 on the occasion of celebration of the second anniversary of the Victory Day. However, those who committed criminal offences like murder, rape, arson etc were not included in the amnesty. [Muntassir Mamoon]