Condolences for Razakars in Parliament: 41 prominent citizens protest

BD Digest Report

Forty-one prominent citizens of the country have protested against the proposal to condole the deaths of Razakars accused and convicted of crimes against humanity in 1971 in the 13th National Parliament.

In a joint statement released today, Friday, March 13, citizens called the proposal an insult to the spirit of the Liberation War and disrespect for the sacrifices of the martyrs.

The signatories to the statement include poet Nirmalendu Gun, Professor Abu Yusuf, poet Henry Swapan, poet Shahed Kayes, researcher and journalist Enayet Kabir, and a total of 41 people.

The statement said that the first parliament of Bangladesh took an oath to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War in the wake of independence. But the current parliament does not reflect that tradition. Raising a condolence motion for the Razakars and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders accused of crimes against humanity is seen as a show of respect for the forces opposing the Liberation War and as part of an attempt to erase national history.

Citizens complained, “A Razakar or Al-Badr never deserves state honors. Such a move will send the wrong message to future generations.”

They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the condolence motion from the minutes of the National Parliament, and urged the Parliament and state institutions to be cautious about taking such steps in the future.

The statement further stated that showing respect to the forces opposing the liberation war is in no way acceptable in a parliament that was established with the sacrifice of 3 million martyrs and 200,000 mothers and sisters.