Most freedom fighters left unrecognised
Saidur Rahman wants nothing except capital punishment for the members of the Pakistani occupation army and their auxiliary forces who killed his parents and three brothers during the 1971 Liberation War.
Although he is pleased with the incumbent Awami League-led grand alliance government's initiative to ensure trial of the war criminals for their brutal offences they committed 43 years ago, Saidur is very aggrieved.
“Except for some people who backed Pakistan, the rest of the Banglaee population from all walks of life took part directly or indirectly in the Liberation War. But the successive governments only honoured some particular freedom fighters,” he told a discussion yesterday.
The “Discussion on the sacrifice of martyred intellectuals in Liberation War” was organised by Bangla Academy on its premises in the capital.
Criticising the practice of realising facilities using freedom fighter certificates, Saidur said people of the liberation forces were now busy with their individual wealth and interests.
“The history of the united Liberation War has been divided into different fragments only for the material and individual interests of some people,” he added.
Only 5 percent of the freedom fighters in cities have snatched the achievements of the remaining 95 percent in rural Bangladesh, he alleged.
“The fearless Bangalees fought to free the country from the dominance and repression of 22 families in '71, but now there are over 22,000 families ruling the masses,” Saidur mentioned.
He also said not only the defense forces, all other people had fought for the independence.
“A bad practice has started on enjoying state facilities using freedom fighter certificates. Now the top bureaucrats, the secretaries are also managing fake freedom fighter certificates,” said an aggrieved Saidur criticising the system.
Now the government wants to recognise female freedom fighters for their valiant contribution to the war. But some people are allegedly trying to show their own female relatives as freedom fighters to gain facilities, he added.
Saidur lost his father Engineer Fazlur Rahman, mother Hosne Akhter, a social worker, and three brothers Mostafizur Rahman Moznu, a college student, Hasinur Rahman Hiron and Shaheed Azizur Rahman Babu, school students, on April 15, 1971.
They were brutally killed at their Railway Government Residence in Saidpur under Nilphamari district for being involved in the liberation war movement.
Saidur and his two sisters Dilruba Khatun and Camellia Rahman, however, miraculously managed to escape. Camellia died of cancer in 2012.
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