An apex court lawyer has sent a legal notice to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia asking her to issue an “unconditional apology” over her recent remarks on the 1971 martyrs.
Former general secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi sent the notice yesterday giving the former premier seven days to apologise or face legal consequences.
Speaking at a discussion on last Monday, Khaleda cast doubt on the number of people who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War in 1971, claiming that the figure is disputed.
Khaleda’s comment came only a few days after Pakistan denied the atrocities they had done in Bangladesh during the nine-month-long bloody war. The government recently executed BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for his war-time crimes committed in Chittagong’s Raozan.
The BNP chief’s remarks drew severe criticisms from the Awami League, war crimes trial campaigners, martyrs’ family members, war crimes prosecutors and different pro-liberation organisations.
Lawyer Momtaz said that the BNP chairperson has cast doubt on the number of the martyrs, though the official number is 30,00,000. Khaleda also said without mentioning the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that he had not wanted independence, rather wanted to be the prime minister of Pakistan.
Earlier, Khaleda’s elder son Tarique Rahman called Bangabandhu a friend of Pakistan.
“Her remarks are anti-state and unconstitutional, like sedition. So, she has been asked to withdraw her remarks and seek unconditional apology within seven days. Otherwise, we will take necessary legal action against her,” the lawyer said.
He sent copies of the notice to her residence in Gulshan and office at the BNP Headquarters by post.
Addressing a meeting of the pro-BNP freedom fighters, Khaleda also alleged that no one can now write the “true history” of the Liberation War fearing government’s harassment. Those writing the truth are being subjected to harassment.
Earlier in 2013, the BNP chief’s Adviser and Supreme Court lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain had threatened to try everyone involvedwith the tribunal.
Most of the war criminals facing trial are leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key ally of the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
The official figures say that apart from the murder of 30,00,000 people, the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators – Peace Committee members, razakars, al-Badr, al-Shams – had raped over 2,50,000 women, tortured thousands of pro-liberation people and torched and looted many houses. Many Hindus were converted to Islam by the collaborators while many others forced to leave the country.
The tribunal earlier condemned and warned British-born Bangladeshi journalist David Bergman for questioning the death figure during the war.