Dhaka, Dec 19 – A legal notice was served yesterday on the Liberation War affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque and its secretary requesting them to offer an unconditional apology to the nation within 24 hours for including the names of freedom fighters in the list of Razakars.The legal notice threatened the minister and secretary to take appropriate legal action against them if they do not offer an unconditional apology to the nation for allegedly violating the constitution and assassinating the character of freedom fighters by including the names of freedom fighters in the list of Razakars.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate SM Zulfiqure Ali sent the legal notice on them through post office saying that the Liberation War Affairs minister committed a punishable offence like treason by including the names of freedom fighters in the Razakars list, which is contradictory to the constitution.
The legal notice mentioned that the names of freedom fighters who had directly participated the Liberation War and fought against Pakistani occupation force have been included in the list of Razakars, which is a punishable offence in the eye of law.
Even the names of some members of martyrs’ families have been included in the Razakar list although the names of identified Razakars have not been included in it, the legal notice noted.
Therefore, the freedom fighters have been hurt and dishonoured which is a shame for the country and the nation.
Amid nationwide outrage and angry protests, the Liberation War affairs ministry on Wednesday suspended the controversial and flawed Razakars’ list three days after its publication.
The decision came hours after Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed the ministries concerned to “correct the list” by dropping the names of freedom fighters from it.
Many freedom fighters were utterly shocked to see their names on the list of Razakars who collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in carrying out mass killings and atrocities against the Bangalees during the 1971 Liberation War.
On December 15, the government published the names of 10,789 Razakars who collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in carrying out mass killings and atrocities against the Bangalees during the 1971 Liberation War.
The list sparked widespread protests across the country as it featured the names of a number of FFs. Many FFs expressed displeasure over the list and demanded immediate corrections.
The home ministry sources said they did not provide any list of Razakars and have no such list.
The liberation war affairs ministry claimed that they received it from the home ministry. It said they sought the list of Razakars from the home ministry and received it. It also said it does not know whether any name was included in or excluded from the home ministry list.
Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Advocate Golam Arif Tipu on Tuesday applied to the liberation war affairs and the home ministries seeking to drop his name from the list of Rajakars.
Surprisingly, his name was listed in the gazette (Sl No. 606 in List No. 89) of Razakars although he along with other family members was in favour of the Liberation War from the beginning. – Staff Reporter
