Bangladesh Chhatra Union (one faction) has said that including the names of convicted war criminals in the condolence motion at the first session of the 13th National Parliament amounts to a betrayal of the martyrs of the Liberation War.
The student organization said: “By including the names of war criminals in the condolence motion, a betrayal has been committed against the 3 million martyrs of the great Liberation War of 1971.”
In a joint statement on Thursday, Mahir Shahriar Reza, president of the central council of the faction, and its general secretary Bahauddin Shuvo said: “By including the names of notorious convicted war criminals in the condolence motion at the first session of the 13th National Parliament, this parliament has betrayed the blood of the 3 million martyrs of the great Liberation War of 1971.
“We observed that instead of paying tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War, the names of war criminals were added to the condolence motion. Having claimed to stand on the side of the Liberation War and formed a government with people's votes, the BNP gave its consent to include the names of war criminals in the condolence motion — which amounts to a betrayal of the public.
“Through this, the BNP has essentially repeated its longstanding policy of keeping war criminals as allies. We strongly condemn and protest the inclusion of the names of notorious convicted war criminals in the condolence motion. The Liberation War is the most glorious chapter in the history of this nation and this land. If the Liberation War is denigrated, the people themselves will deliver the appropriate response.”
At the session of the 13th Parliament that day, the names of former Jamaat-e-Islami leaders convicted of war crimes — including Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mujahid, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury — along with other war criminals, were included in the condolence motion.
The Socialist Student Front also condemned the move.
In a statement, Mukta Barai, president of the central committee of the organization, and its general secretary Raihan Uddin said: “Today, during the adoption of the condolence motion at the first session of the 13th National Parliament, the government's chief whip called for a condolence motion in the names of admitted razakars and war criminals who were complicit in genocide. We then watched in disbelief as it was accepted by the Speaker of Parliament.
“A shameful precedent has been set today — one that tramples upon the democratic consciousness born out of the long struggles of the people of Bangladesh. The student community of this country condemns this in the strongest terms. The spirit of the great Liberation War of 1971 and the mass movements over the past 54 years have been crushed underfoot, while a performance of reinstating enemies of the people has been staged in their place. Time and again, the people have been deceived in between.”
The statement further read: “After August 5, there was hope that this charade would come to an end. But the interim government, by rehabilitating Jamaat — an organization complicit in genocide — has already undermined the moral foundation of the people's struggle against Awami terror.
“Through today's events, the National Parliament too has signaled that it is unwilling to honor the people's verdict and aspirations — which is an ominous warning for the days ahead.”
Both organizations demanded that the names of the razakars be expunged from the condolence motion of the 13th National Parliament without delay.
