Different political parties, cultural organizations and 41 prominent citizens of the country have protested the adoption of a condolence motion in the first session of the 13th National Parliament in the name of war criminals who were executed for crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation in 1971.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) called the incident an extreme betrayal of the sacrifices of 3 million martyrs and hundreds of thousands of women who were subjected to barbaric torture in the great liberation war.
CPB President Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan and General Secretary Abdullah Kafi Ratan in a statement said, "Such type of audacity shown by the Jamaat-e-Islami which party was involved in the genocide, rape and war crimes committed during 1971, is unforgivable. The people of the country will never forget this."
BSD demands withdrawal of names of war criminals from condolence motion
The Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) has condemned and protested the acceptance of a condolence motion in the name of war criminals in the first session of the 13th National Parliament. At the same time, the party has demanded that the names of war criminals be expunged from the condolence motion. Bazlur Rashid Firoz, General Secretary of the BSD Central Committee, made this demand in a statement.
Condemnation of Udichi
The Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi has angrily rejected the condolence motion. At the same time, the organization has accused the opposition party members of insulting the national anthem by not standing up during the national anthem and demanded punishment for them.
In a statement, Udichi Central Committee Acting President Mahmud Selim and General Secretary Amit Ranjan Dey said, "Including the names of the notorious war criminals and Razakars, whose crimes were proven and sentenced after the trial in the International Crimes Tribunal, in the National Parliament's condolence motion is not only tarnishing history, but also an extreme insult to the martyrs of the Liberation War. The National Parliament is the highest democratic institution of the country. Such an act there questions the spirit of the country's independence and liberation war and sends the wrong message to the new generation."
The Udichi leaders also said that insulting behavior towards the national anthem is in no way acceptable. The national anthem is not just a song; it is a symbol of our liberation war, sacrifice and nationhood. Such behavior undermines the country's constitutional values and the dignity of the nation. There is also a constitutional obligation to show due respect to the national anthem.
Statement by 41 prominent citizens
Forty-one prominent citizens, including poets, writers, journalists, researchers, development workers and people have protested against the condolence motion for the Razakars convicted by nthe court for crimes against humanity. They expressed this protest in a statement today.
Their statement said, "We strongly demand the immediate withdrawal of this part of the condolence proposal from the minutes of the National Parliament. At the same time, we urge all concerned to be vigilant so that such controversial steps are not taken in the Parliament or any other state institution in the future."
