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{{EngvarB|date=March 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
'''East Pakistan Central Peace Committee''' ({{lang-bn|পূর্ব পাকিস্তান কেন্দ্রীয় শান্তি কমিটি}}; {{lang-ur|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. [[Nurul Amin]], as a leader of [[Pakistan Democratic Party]], led the formation of the Shanti Committee to thwart the [[Mukti Bahini]] who fought for the independence of Bangladesh.<ref name=Banglapedia>{{cite book |last=Mamoon |first=Muntassir |year=2012 |chapter=Peace Committee |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Peace_Committee |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=13 April 1971 |script-title=bn:ভারতীয় চক্রান্ত বরদাস্ত করব না |trans-title=We will never tolerate Indian conspiracy |newspaper=[[The Daily Sangram]]}}</ref><ref name="Rubin2010">{{cite book |last=Rubin |first=Barry A. |year=2010 |title=Guide to Islamist Movements |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wEih57-GWQQC&pg=PA59 |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |page=59 |isbn=978-0-7656-4138-0}}</ref><ref name="Fair2010">{{cite book |last=Fair |first=C. Christine |year=2010 |title=Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RC-ANwtR_SoC&pg=PA22 |publisher=Rand Corporation |pages=21–22 |isbn=978-0-8330-4807-3}}</ref>

==Background==
On 25 March 1971, the liberation war began. On 4 April 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 co-operation in opposing the Bangladesh rebellion.<ref name="chandan">{{cite book |script-title=bn:একাত্তরের ঘাতক ও দালালরা |trans-title=The Killers and Collaborators of 71 |last=Chandan |first=Azadur Rahman |date=February 2011 |orig-year=2009 |edition=Revised 2nd |publisher=Jatiya Sahitya Prakash |location=Dhaka |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/105628755/%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%A8  |pages=48–54}}</ref> After subsequent meetings, they announced the formation of the Citizen Peace Committee, with 140 members.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=133777 |title='Peace Committee formed on Apr 10 in '71 to resist birth of Bangladesh' |work=The Daily Star |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="dpak11041971">{{cite news |script-title=bn:ঢাকায় নাগরিক শান্তি কমিটি |newspaper=Dainik Pakistan |date=11 April 1971}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.observerbd.com/2014/10/25/50744.php |title=Wartime crime charges against Ghulam Azam |work=The Daily Observer |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref> The first recruits included 96 Jamaat-e-Islami members, who started training in an Ansar camp at Khanjahan Ali Road, [[Khulna]].<ref>{{cite news |date=25 May 1971 |newspaper=Daily Pakistan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=26 May 1971 |newspaper=[[The Azad|The Daily Azad]]}}</ref> The Shanti Committee is also alleged to have recruited [[Razakars (Pakistan)|Razakars]].<ref name="Wall Street Journal">''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', 27 July 1971; quoted in the book ''Muldhara 71'' by Moidul Hasan</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/07/15/guilty-of-all-grisly-acts |title=Guilty of all grisly acts |work=bdnews24.com |date=15 July 2013 |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref>

==History==
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 organised a rally from [[Baitul Mukarram]] to Chawkbazar Mosque on 13 April. The rally was to end with a meeting near [[New Market, Dhaka|New Market]]. At the end of the rally, participants began rioting in [[Azimpur, Dhaka|Azimpur]], Shantinagar and Shankhari Bazar areas. They set fire to the houses of known pro-liberation people and killed some.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Karlekar |first=Hiranmay |date=2005 |title=Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan? |url=https://archive.org/details/bangladeshnextaf0000karl |url-access=registration |publisher=SAGE |page=149 |isbn=978-0-7619-3401-1}}</ref>

The Peace Committee spread throughout East Pakistan, reaching even rural villages. Compared to the indiscriminate killing of Pakistan army the Peace committee were more specific and guided by lists they made of opponents.<ref name=":0" /> The Peace committee members were feared by the population of East Pakistan. Peace committee members were killed during [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref>{{cite book |last=United States Congress |date=1971 |title=Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eC-8cRFQOycC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=27134–27135}}</ref>

On 14 April, at a meeting in Dhaka, the Citizen Peace Committee renamed itself as the East Pakistan Central Peace Committee. A working committee was formed consisting of 21 members.<ref name=po-apr16>{{cite news |title=Citizens Peace Committee Renamed |newspaper=[[The Pakistan Observer]] |date=16 April 1971}}</ref> They set up an office in [[Maghbazar]]. The Peace Committee appointed one or more liaison officers for the different police station areas of Dhaka. On 17 April 1971, the members of the peace committee apprised Governor [[Tikka Khan]] of the progress made by them toward restoring normalcy and confidence among the citizens.<ref name=po-apr17>{{cite news |date=17 April 1971 |title=Peace Committee Leaders call on the Governor |newspaper=The Pakistan Observer}}</ref> The central peace committee was being deputed to the district and divisional headquarters throughout east Pakistan.<ref name=po-apr26>{{cite news |date=26 April 1971 |title=Peace Committee to be set up in districts |newspaper=The Pakistan Observer}}</ref> The peace committee in Munshiganj gave a grand reception to the [[West Pakistan]]i militaries on 11 May 1971.<ref name=purbadesh>{{cite news |date=11 May 1971 |newspaper=Daily Purbadesh}}</ref>

According to the historian Azadur Rahman Chandan in his 2011 book about the war, the Peace Committee was the first organisation to be set up by local residents who collaborated with Pakistan.<ref name="chandan"/> Its members were drawn from the political parties of the [[Muslim League (Bangladesh)|Muslim League]] and [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]], which thought an independent Bangladesh was against Islam; as well as the [[Urdu]]-speaking [[Biharis]].<ref name="kann">{{cite news |first=Peter R. |last=Kann |date=27 July 1971 |title=East Pakistan Is Seen Gaining Independence, But It Will Take Years |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

==Abolition==
On 16 December 1971, after the end of the war, the committee was abolished.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}

==Former members==
* [[Khwaja Khairuddin]] - Leader of the [[Council Muslim League|East Pakistan Council Muslim League]]

==See also==
* [[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al Badr]]
* [[Al-Shams (East Pakistan)|Al Sham]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{1971 Bangladesh genocide}}

[[Category:Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:History of East Pakistan]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in Bangladesh]]

East Pakistan Central Peace Committee - Revision history

RowenaGlenny3: updated details

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