Shanti Committee

East Pakistan Central Peace Committee (Bengali: পূর্ব পাকিস্তান কেন্দ্রীয় শান্তি কমিটি; Urdu: مشرقی پاکستان مرکزی امن کمیٹی‎), also known as the Nagorik Shanti Committee (Citizen's Peace Committee), or more commonly Peace Committee or Shanti Committee, was one of several committees formed in East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) in 1971 by the Pakistan Army to aid its efforts in crushing the rebellion for Bangladesh independence. Ghulam Azam, as a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, led the formation of the Shanti Committee to thwart the Mukti Bahini who fought for the independence of Bangladesh.

On March 25, 1971, the liberation war began. On April 4, 1971, twelve pro-Pakistan leaders, including Nurul Amin, Ghulam Azam and Khwaja Khairuddin, met General Tikka Khan of the Pakistan Army and assured him of cooperation in opposing the Bangladesh rebellion. After subsequent meetings, they announced the formation of the Citizen Peace Committee, with 140 members. The first recruits included 96 Jamaat-e-Islami members, who started training in an Ansar camp at Khanjahan Ali Road, Khulna. The Shanti Committee is also alleged to have recruited Razakars.

The leaders of the East Pakistan Central Peace Committee called on citizens of Pakistan to defend Pakistan from "Indian aggression", as India was supporting the Bangladesh liberation movement. The Peace Committee organized a rally from Baitul Mukarram to Chawkbazar Mosque on April 13. The rally was to end with a meeting near New Market. At the end of the rally, participants began rioting in Azimpur, Shantinagar and Shankhari Bazar areas. They set fire to the houses of known pro-liberation people and killed some.

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Wikipedia