Protests spiral over flawed Razakar list
People in several districts of the country protested the inclusion of freedom fighters’ names in the controversial list of Razakars published by the Liberation War affairs ministry.
In Barishal, people set copies of the list on fire, while some, under the banner of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD), formed a human chain in front Ashwini Kumar hall and brought out a procession in the city.
Manisha Chakrabarty, daughter of Tapan Kumar Chakrabarty, a freedom fighter whose name was included in the Razakars’ list, yesterday at a press conference said Pakistani army brutally killed her grandfather during the Liberation War.
“This humiliation is not only for my family, but also for the whole nation,” said Manisha, who is also member secretary of Barishal unit BSD.
“The same ministry who recognised my father as a freedom fighter, how could they enlist him as a razakar?” Manisha asked.
She demanded punishment of those involved in the process.
Locals spontaneously kept their shops and businesses around Russel Square in Patharghata of Barguna closed off for six hours from 10:00am in protest of having names of freedom fighters, including Majibul Haq (Naya Bhai), on the list.
Locals and freedom fighters also held human chain and brought out procession in the area, after holding a press conference.
They also handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister through Patharghata UNO Humayun Kabir, demanding that the names of freedom fighters in the upazila be dropped from the list.
Awami League Patharghata upazila unit also held a protest meeting in the same place. The upazila AL general secretary Jabir Hossain warned that they will hold tougher protest programmes if Majibul’s name was not dropped from the list.
Majibul had also been the president of the Awami League’s Patharghata unit for 40 years.
In Rajshahi, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote formed a human chain at Shaheb Bazar area demanding punishment of people who prepared the controversial list and called for steps to correct the list.
Chief Prosecutor Office of the International Crimes Tribunal yesterday held a press briefing at its office to protest the inclusion of Ghulam Arieff Tipoo’s name in the Razakar List.
Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon read out a written statement by Tipoo, where he said, “I am astonished, surprised, disheartened and humiliated by it [the list].”
The Liberation War Affairs Ministry has shown utter neglect by releasing and publishing the Razakar list without doing the necessary examinations and scrutiny, he said.
Tipoo is a gazetteed freedom fighter and is now receiving the monthly government allowance for freedom fighter.
“I sincerely hope that they [Liberation War Ministry] will understand their fault and publish a gazette correcting the errors immediately and publicise it through media,” he said.
Tipoo also said he thought anti-liberation forces at the liberation war affairs ministry did it intentionally.
Prosecutor Zead Al Malum said on different occasions the Chief Prosecutor Office and investigation agency of the tribunal sought information about anti-liberation elements from the home ministry but to no avail.
Meanwhile, the Chief Prosecutor Office yesterday sent a letter to the Home Minister seeking information about the basis of the Razakar list, a prosecutor said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi in a statement demanded the removal of the liberation war affairs minister and secretary for publishing a flawed list. While Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Ratan) in another statement said the name of Tipoo in the list was part of a conspiracy.
Children of Liberation War martyrs expressed deep concern over the confusions and complexities that arose over the list, said a press release of Projonmo ’71.
(Our Barisal, Patuakhali, Bogura, Sylhet, Cumilla and Rajshahi correspondents contributed to this report.)
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