Freedom fighter advocate Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, who found his name on the recently-published list of Razakars, on Tuesday said it would have been better for him to die than seeing his name on the list.
“After 48 years of independence, the names of mine and my mother Usha Rani Chakraborty appeared on the list of Razakars. I felt very shocked and I’ve no word to say. It would have been better for me to die than seeing my name on the list,” he said while talking to reporters after a press briefing in the city.
Tapan said his father Sudhir Kumar Chakraborty was picked up by Pakistani occupation forces from his residence on August 12, 1971 during the Liberation War and he was later killed at Wapda killing ground. “My father was recognised as a freedom fighter after the Liberation War,” he said.
“After the demise of my father, I’d gone to India for training in the month of September and took part in the Liberation War from Sector-9 (Satkhira-Khulna and Barishal) after returning home in October. My name has been listed as a freedom fighter in the gazette notification issued by the Liberation War Affairs Ministry,” Tapan added.
Tapan’s daughter and leader of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal Dr Manisha Chakraborty said, “My father is a listed freedom fighter but his name was included at serial No 63 of the list of Razakars while my grandmother Usha Rani’s name is inserted at serial 45 of the list which is shameful not only for the martyred freedom fighter’s family but also for those who believe in the Liberation War spirit.”
She came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Fakirbari Road office in the city.Dr Manisha also demanded exemplary punishment of those involved in making the list.
The government on Sunday published a list of 10,789 Razakars who collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces during the War of Liberation in 1971.But the official list drew huge criticisms as the names of several freedom fighters are on it.
The name of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) chief prosecutor Golam Arif Tipu has also appeared on the list.In serial 89 of Rajshahi division (overall 606), there are names of five people, including Arif.
The four others are advocate Mohsin Ali, advocate Abdus Salam, then deputy commissioner of Rajshahi Abdur Rouf and then police officer SM Abu Taleb.
In the remark column, it was mentioned that the district committee proposed releasing them.The name of Language Movement veteran and war-wounded freedom fighter from Barishal among others is there.
Besides, 26 Hindu community members and six women were mentioned as Razakars in the list which contains names of around 1,000 collaborators from Barishal.
Mihir Lal Dutta, a renowned Language Movement activist, died on January 20, 2017.
He sustained bullet wounds in his abdomen during the Liberation War. His father and a brother were also martyred during the war. But surprisingly, he was named as a Razakar in the recently published list.
source: UNB
