Blaming the government of using the Liberation War as a political tool, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the recently released the list of 1971 collaborators was prepared by the Pakistani forces.
“They (government) have made a list of Razakars [collaborators]. What’s the need of making such a list after 48 years? People are saying there’re many errors… this is the list that was made by Pakistanis,” he said on Tuesday (Dec 17).
The senior BNP leader made the remarks while addressing a programme in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office before bringing out a procession to mark the 49th Victory Day.
Mirza Fakhrul said, “The government has made the list of Razakars with a political motive. They use the Liberation War as a political tool and the list is the outcome of that. They’re making the lists of freedom fighters and Razakars dropping the names of real ones only to make their political gains.”
The government on Sunday (Dec 15) published the list of 10,789 Razakars in the first phase.
Hundreds of BNP leaders and activists took part in the rally holding banners, festoons and the portraits of their party founder Ziaur Rahman, chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman, reports BNP.
Fakhrul said though Awami League (AL) claims of upholding the Liberation War spirit, the fact is that it is the party that has destroyed all the spirit of the Liberation War and established the one-party Baksal rule deceiving people.
He said AL ‘usurped’ power by snatching people’s all the basic rights. “They’ve failed to deliver on all fronts. They’ve turned Bangladesh into a failed country by ruining the economy and politicising the judiciary.”
The BNP leader said the government is even controlling the media blocking all the ways of practising democracy in the country.
He bemoaned that though 48 years have elapsed since the Liberation War, people still did not get the freedom while the government has destroyed democracy. “People in an independent country have become anxious due to the AL misrule. We’ve taken part in this Victory Day rally with a heavy heart and anger,” Fakhrul was quoted by UNB as saying.
Though the country was liberated with the main spirit of establishing democracy, he said, the current government has shattered that spirit.
“The usurper regime has looted people’s desire for democracy. Those who now talk in favour of democracy have to stay in jail. The government has turned the entire country into a jail by implicating lakhs of people in false cases,” he added
Pointing at BNP leaders and activists, Fakhrul said democracy will not be freed until their party chief Khaleda Zia is released from jail. “So, we’ll have to free our leader by ensuring the fall of the current government through a movement.”
The rally which was taken out from its Nayapaltan central office around 3pm ended at Shantinagar after passing through Bijoynagar and Kakrail amid the presence of huge law enforcers, according to UNB.
People had to endure immense sufferings as huge tailbacks were created in Nayapaltan and its adjoining areas due to the rally.