Several cultural and left-leaning political organizations have condemned the inclusion of the names of convicted or accused war criminals in a condolence motion during the first session of the 13th National Parliament, describing the move as an affront to the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War.
The cultural organization Udichi Shilpigosthi strongly criticised the decision, calling it disrespectful to the martyrs of the Liberation War.
In a statement, acting president of Udichi’s central committee Mahmud Selim and general secretary Amit Ranjan Dey said including the names of notorious war criminals and collaborators whose crimes were proven through verdicts delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal in a parliamentary condolence motion distorts history and deeply insults the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the 1971 Liberation War.
“The national parliament is the country’s highest democratic institution. Such a move there raises serious questions about the ideals of independence and the spirit of the Liberation War, while sending a dangerous and misleading message to the younger generation,” the statement said.
Udichi also demanded punishment for opposition Members of Parliament who reportedly did not stand during the playing of the national anthem in the session, describing the act as a clear sign of disrespect.
According to the cultural body, the national anthem is not merely a song but a symbol of the country’s Liberation War, sacrifice and national identity.
“Disrespect toward the national anthem undermines the constitutional values and dignity of the nation,” the statement added, noting that showing due respect to the anthem is also a constitutional obligation.
The organization further said there could be no compromise when it comes to protecting the spirit of the Liberation War and the country’s cultural heritage, calling on progressive cultural and democratic forces to unite against any attempt to glorify war criminals and to resist any form of disrespect toward national symbols.
Meanwhile, the Left Democratic Alliance also condemned the incident. In a statement issued on Friday, the alliance expressed deep outrage over the inclusion of the names of convicted members of the Al-Badr and Razakar forces who were involved in atrocities during the 1971 Liberation War in the parliamentary condolence motion, calling it a betrayal of the spirit of the Liberation War and the sacrifices of the nation’s martyrs.
Separately, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BaSaD) also protested the move. In a statement to the press on Friday, its central committee General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz condemned the adoption of a condolence motion in the first session of the 13th parliament for individuals convicted as war criminals.
The Bangladesh Jubo Federation also expressed strong protest over the incident. In a joint statement, its convener Golam Mostafa and member secretary Jahid Sujon said including the names of collaborators who aided the Pakistani military during the 1971 genocide in a parliamentary condolence motion constitutes a grave insult to the 3 million martyrs of the Liberation War.
They said while there may be legal debates over aspects of the judicial process, such debates cannot justify the crimes committed by collaborators involved in genocide, rape, torture and arson during the Liberation War.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh also condemned the move. In a statement, its central general secretary Iqbal Kabir Zahid described the condolence motion as disgraceful and contrary to the spirit of the Liberation War, saying it amounts to a betrayal of the sacrifices made by the nation’s martyrs.