Nirbachita Haque’s path of recognition and social justice

Nirbachita Haque (Senior, SoL) was honoured with the “Best Participant” award at the closing ceremony of the month-long 14th Certificate Course on Genocide and Justice organized by the Centre for the Study of Genocide and Justice at the Liberation War Museum on 19th September. 

The highly competitive course which admitted 43 participants through a rigorous selection process and explored international humanitarian law, international criminal law and genocide studies with a special focus on the 1971 Liberation War. Reflecting on the experience, Nirbachita shared, “Initially I struggled to connect the historical and societal dimensions with the legal framework but with the guidance of my instructors, I learned to see events through both lenses.”

Nirbachita’s research paper titled ‘Children of Conflict: Legal and Social Justice for the War Babies of the Liberation War in Light of International Criminal Law’, became a core factor in her success which expressed the provisions of international criminal law that safeguard the rights of war babies. It also examined the activity of the government of Bangladesh and evaluated how well they corresponded with the international rules. Along with the more general aspects of social justice, the paper also evaluated responsibility and compensation procedures within national and international legal systems. The findings highlighted the state’s ongoing failure to meet the requirements of the war babies today and came to the conclusion that domestic legal procedures are still insufficient to give proper justice to them. It also showed that NGOs and other global actors have not done enough to address the ongoing social stigma that these people face.  

Even after winning the award, Nirbachita expressed that it was never her end goal. “I believe you never truly win when your only goal is the trophy. I worked with genuine joy, not for recognition, but because this subject fascinates me”, she said. 

Lastly she left a message to the future participants saying that, “One should pursue courses that align with personal goals and focus on self-improvement with respect for others, rather than chasing certificates or competing with peers.”