| Bangladesh |
| We're also freedom fighters |
| 2010-12-16 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, the party that was against the liberation of Bangladesh and collaborated with the occupation Mighty Pak Army in 1971, are now claiming themselves "freedom fighters". ATM Azharul Islam, the party's acting secretary general, yesterday said he and his party leaders should also be called freedom fighters. "We fought in the same sector that Kabir Chowdhury was in," he said, adding, "If he is not called a razakar after serving as a government employee during the war, why should we be called razakar although we speak for the people?" The Jamaat secretary general was addressing a discussion marking the Victory Day. The Dhaka city unit of the party organised the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club. "If Kabir Chowdhury is now called a freedom fighter then we also deserve to be called the same," the Jamaat leader said. Earlier on Tuesday, Azharul Islam alleged that National Professor Kabir Chowdhury had links with the then Pakistain government in 1971. He also claimed that the government has started trials of war criminals to hide their failure, divide the country and facilitate India in many ways. "We also demand the trials of war criminals but don't get the wrong impression. We demand trials of the 195 identified Mighty Pak Army personnel who killed three million people in the war," said the Jamaat leader. The top brass of Jamaat-e-Islami, including its chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, are now being tried for crimes against humanity in 1971. Terming the trial an ill motive to divide the country, Azhar yesterday said it would lead to a conflict and anarchy in the country. On the Jamaat leader's remarks, Prof Kabir Chowdhury told The Daily Star, "It [Azhar's claim] is totally false. I worked for the liberation of Bangladesh even though I was a government employee then and such examples are not scarce in the history." "The Mighty Pak Army wanted me to sign a statement that said the situation of the then East Pakistain was calm and no genocide took place here. But, only Sufia Kamal and I kept from signing the statement although our lives were on the line. They [Pak occupation army] then printed a statement putting our names on it but there were no signature of us two," said Prof Kabir Chowdhury. On the audacious comments by the same Jamaat leader on one of the sector commanders, Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, commander of S Force, yesterday told The Daily Star that the Jamaat leaders always try to confuse the people of the country, including the freedom fighters, with such comments. "They can claim themselves freedom fighters if they want to. But they were the fighters on the Pak side and we accept that. That is why, I am for putting them behind bars," he said. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Charge Hannan with treason |
| 2009-02-22 |
| War veterans and eminent citizens yesterday said the government should bring treason charge against former bureaucrat Shah Abdul Hannan, who has said the 1971 Liberation War was fought between India and Pakistan, and not between Bangladesh and Pakistan. That rewriting history thing's not going well, is it? Sector Commanders' Forum leader Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah said Hannan has violated the constitution by making such a comment. The preamble of the constitution states that Bangladesh was created after the Liberation War in 1971. "If he (Hannan) is a citizen of Bangladesh, he has committed a crime making such a comment. So the government should bring charge of treason against him and bring him to justice," Shafiullah who had led the Liberation War as a sector commander, told The Daily Star. Chief Coordinator of the Sector Commanders Forum Harunur Rashid said those who deny the War of Liberation deny the existence of Bangladesh and should be charged with treason. Rights activist and former adviser to the caretaker government Sultana Kamal said the remark is baseless and a crude lie because Bangladesh fought the Pakistan occupation forces with declaration of war on March 26, 1971. Sultana, also a freedom fighter, said after nine months of fighting the joint forces joined the freedom fighters in December. "All except those who were involved in killing and rape and arsons as the collaborators of Pakistani occupation forces know about the Liberation War," she said. She added now their character is once again being revealed through such remarks. "No-one is more hated than those who deny the Liberation War." According to newspaper reports, former secretary to the government and former chairman of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd, Hannan, at a discussion organised by Sangskritik Oikya Front at the National Press Club on Friday said: "To my knowledge no war had taken place between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 1971. I have come across no such information in the books of history published abroad." Contacted, Hannan said, "I'll not make any comment because I'm already a victim of injustice by a section of newspapers." He alleged his comments were presented as one sided and out of context. |
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| Bangladesh |
| War crime bill in first JS session |
| 2008-12-17 |
| Sectors Commanders of the Liberation War from a victory day celebration yesterday asked next lawmakers to table a bill in the 9th parliament to try war criminals. Every citizen has the ultimate weapon of vote to fight out war criminals and they must use it to prove Bangladesh a country of freedom fighters, said sector commanders and freedom fighters at a Victory Day programme yesterday. Urging people to vote freedom fighters in the upcoming polls, speakers also said freedom fighters have been "exploited" by political parties since independence. "A bill must be brought at the first session of the next parliament to try war criminals," Sector Commander Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah also urging people to bring freedom fighters in the parliament. "The ultimate weapon to fight war criminals is in the hand of every citizen who has the power to vote. Every citizen has become a fighter with that weapon. And they must learn everything about war criminals and make sure they don't have access to our sacred parliament," said Sector Commander Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury. The nation celebrated 37 years of liberation yesterday, saluting the valiant sons and daughters of the soil who made the supreme sacrifice in the Liberation War in 1971 for an independent and modern democratic state. With the spirit of independence, thousands of people of all walks and ages across the country gathered at the memorials of the martyrs. They paid tributes to the national heroes amid renewed calls for trial of war criminals and boycotting them in the polls. Osman Chowdhury added, "The harmful anti-liberation elements have grown up under shelter of dirty politics over the years and are getting prepared to eat up the country." The programme titled "Reunion of freedom fighters living in Dhaka and Sector-2 in Dhaka" organised by Dhaka City Corporation at Osmani Udyan in the morning was attended by freedom fighters, government and DCC officials and many others. "Prove it through your judgment on December 29 this is the country of freedom fighters and Jamaat-e-Islami, Al Badr, and Al Shams don't belong to this country," said Coordinator of Sector Commanders Forum (SCF) Lt General (retd) Harun-ar-Rashid. "We must be united with a determination that none of us would cast vote for a war criminal," said KM Shafiullah. He added, "The next government must raise a bill to try the war criminals at the very first session of the next parliament." "Remain vigilant so that war criminals don't win this election. Let the sky and air of Bangla be resonated with the slogan 'We want trial of war criminals,'" said Commander of Sector-4 Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Islamic leaders seek Nizami's punishment for war crimes |
| 2008-05-22 |
| Representatives of the Islamic community of the country yesterday demanded punishment of Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes he committed during the Liberation War. The demand came at a meeting between a delegation of Islamic leaders and the Sector Commanders Forum (SCF) at the SCF office in Banani. The delegation, led by former director of Bangladesh Islamic Foundation Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, said war crimes are more heinous than corruption and for that the government should try the war criminals by a special tribunal. At the meeting they said the rule of law that the government is telling about could be ensured if they try the war criminals. The religious leaders said that there can be no peace in the country if war criminals are not tried. SCF chairman and deputy chief of Liberation War Air Vice-Marshall (retd) AK Khandaker, sector commanders Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta, Maj Gen (retd) Rafiqul Islam, Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury, former Army Chief and chief coordinator of SCF Lt Gen (retd) Harun-ar-Rashid, among others, were present on behalf of SCF. Maulana Abdur Rahim, Maulana Mizanur Rahman, Principal of Baridhara Madrasa Maulana Abdul Alim Faridi, Khatib of Rajbari Mosque Mufti Ainul Islam, among others, represented Islamic leaders. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Sector commanders for ban on anti-independence forces |
| 2007-10-25 |
| Sector Commanders Forum, a platform of sector commanders of the Liberation War, has demanded that the caretaker government ban 'anti- independence' forces like Jamaat-e-Islami from taking part in elections. It also demanded trial of the leaders of Jamaat and other forces which had opposed the Liberation War. The demands were made at a post Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja reunion of freedom fighters at city hotel on Tuesday. Six sector commanders who made the demand also vowed not to attend any state function on the coming Victory Day if anti-liberation forces are invited there. Five of the 11 sector commanders are dead. The reunion was attended by four sector commanders and two others who could not attend expressed solidarity with them. The four are Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta, Lt Gen (retd) Mir Shawkat Ali, Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, Lt Col (retd) Kazi Nuruzzaman, Air Vice Marshal (ret) A K Khandker, Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman, Lt Gen (retd) M Harun-ur-Rashid . The other two backed the demands are Maj (ret) Rafiqul Islam and Col (ret) Abu Osman Chowdhury. A number of freedom fighters were present at the function. The forum opposed the government decision to enrol Biharis (stranded Pakistanis) as voters. It decided to hold a convention in the capital prior of the Victory Day to mobilise public support for its demands. "It is very unfortunate to enrol stranded Pakistanis as voters as they still believe in Pakistan," Shafiullah said at the function. "Most of the Biharis were involved in the killing of Bangladeshis during the Liberation War, he pointed out. CR Dutta said," It is unfortunate that freedom fighters are now divided We should remain united if we want to bring anti-liberation forces to trial." Nuruzzaman said," Pro-liberation forces will have to go power to try those who had opposed the Liberation War." Shawkat Ali urged the freedom fighters to get united. The forum would submit memorandums containing their demands to the president, chief adviser and army chief. |
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