Anti-liberation statements

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It is beyond any doubt that the recent observation by Begum Zia about the need for trial of war criminals has shocked the common people in general and the muktijoddhas and their families in particular.
In her speech she stated that (a) trial of war criminals might result in division of the people, (b) four decades is a long time for opening the trial, (c) real war criminals were released after the liberation war, and (d) freedom fighters are being used for "political business."
Not only Begum Zia, even some front-ranking leaders of BNP are also trying to gain prominence through making attempts to belittle our war of liberation and the freedom fighters. Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia is one of them.
On October1 he stated that he could not find anything about the surrender of Pakistani forces to the freedom fighters in the surrender documents of the liberation war. Such statement from a veteran lawyer appears unfortunate.
In is clearly written in the surrender document that "The Pakistan Eastern Command agrees to surrender all Pakistan Armed Forces in Bangladesh to Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding of the Indian and Bangladesh Forces in the Eastern Theatre." However, Barrister Rafique withdrew his comments later on.
It seems that, to Begum Zia, Bangladesh freedom fighters are those who went to India in 1971 to spend their time there, and are trying to claim themselves as the champions of war of liberation.
She does not seem to realise how effective the speech of the then Indian premier, late Indira Gandhi, was in the General Assembly of the United Nations. She fails to appreciate that one of the cogent reasons for the support we got from the freedom-loving people of the world was that ten million Bangalee took refuge in India.
Three million people were killed in the war of independence. Almost four lakh women were dishonoured by Pakistani forces and their associates. About ten million people had to leave the country for shelter in India. Except Razakars and Al-Badrs, all the people of Bangladesh suffered and incurred loss directly or indirectly. Did you ever see how the Bangalee refugees lived in the camps of Salt Lake and border areas of West Bengal? Does it not seem that you have insulted our whole nation by your statement on October 5?
On the concluding day of the sixth session of parliament our prime minister made an appeal to the BNP chairperson not to make the lives of common people miserable by attempting to save the terrorists and the war criminals. She further added that the trial of war criminals was demanded by the entire nation and it would continue even after the end of the present generation.
Begum Zia's statement against the trial of war criminals is not only shocking, it has also created a sense of deprivation and frustration among the muktijoddhas and their families. When we look back, we see that within one year of setting up of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, the people of this province started political agitation.
There was the language movement in 1952, death of Muslim league in the election of 1954, education movement in 1962, declaration of six-point by Bangabandhu in 1966, the movement for implementation of six-point programme in 1969, and the election of 1970.
If she does not pay any heed to the demand of the people for the trial, her party may gradually lose the respect of the people.

A.B.M.S. Zahur is a former joint secretary.