Outrageous BLUNDER

With more names of freedom fighters cropping up on the Razakars’ list, the home and the Liberation War affairs ministers have traded blame over preparation of the list that has caused nationwide outrage. 

The Daily Star yesterday found 17 freedom fighters and organisers of the 1971 Liberation War on the list. Earlier, this newspaper noticed the names of seven freedom fighters on it.

Protests over the faulty list spread across the country yesterday as pro-liberation people held demonstrations in the capital, Barishal, Barguna, Rajshahi and elsewhere, demanding withdrawal of the list published by the Liberation War affairs ministry on Sunday.

In Barishal city, protesters set fire to a copy of the list while people in Pathorghata upazila observed strike spontaneously for six hours from 10:00am.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal protested the list that contains the name of Chief Prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo.

Against this backdrop, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque has regretted the “unintentional” mistakes in the list.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, the minister said his ministry is looking into how the names of freedom fighters and pro-liberation people got included in the list.

“There are allegations that a good number of freedom fighters or pro-Liberation War people have been included in the list … We are looking into the matter …”

The names would be dropped from the list upon verification if the aggrieved persons submit application to the ministry, according to the statement.

The government on Sunday published the names of 10,789 Razakars, Al-Badrs, Al-Shams and anti-liberation elements who collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in 1971.

At a press briefing that day, Mozammel said the list was based on records preserved at the home ministry, and that it was the first of the phases in which the government will make public the names of Razakars.

MINISTERS TRADE BLAME

Amid huge criticism in the media and the social networks, Mozammel yesterday morning said his ministry would withdraw the list if the number of mistakes in it is huge.

Talking to journalists after a programme in the capital, the minister said he accepts the responsibility though his ministry didn’t prepare the list, and that they just published it.

“We did not edit the list, which was provided by the home ministry. We published it as it was,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, Mozammel told this newspaper that the question of any mistake in the list did not arise.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said his ministry provided the Razakars’ list following a request from the Liberation War affairs ministry.

“The Liberation War affairs ministry didn’t scrutinise the list before publishing it … The list should have been scrutinised,” he said at a programme organised by Bangladesh Krishak League on Bangabandhu Avenue.

The home boss said the Liberation War affairs ministry didn’t take into consideration the home ministry’s “note” to scrutinise the list.

“In the note, we mentioned that cases [filed under the collaborators act] against many have been withdrawn. But the ministry didn’t take it into consideration.

“I hope the Liberation War affairs ministry will publish a fresh list after thorough scrutiny,” he added. 

FURTHER CONTROVERSY

This newspaper found the names of 17 freedom fighters and Liberation War organisers on the Razakars’ list. Of them, eight are from Bogura, two each from Jhalakathi, Barguna and Sunamganj, and one each from Barishal, Sirajganj and Chandpur.

Abdul Hye Serniabat, elder brother of former minister and Awami League leader Abdur Rab Serniabat, is on the list of Razakars from Barishal zone.

Expressing utter disappointment over it, Aman Serniabat, son of Abdul Hye Serniabat said, “How is it even possible? … We don’t understand. We strongly protest it.”

MAG Kabir Bhulu, a veteran freedom fighter from Barishal, said, “I personally knew Abdul Hye Serniabat, who never had any links to anti-Liberation War elements. I knew him as a very good and gentle person.”

The list also carries the names of freedom fighter Subhash Bakth and his relative Nazir Bakth, a Liberation War organiser, said freedom fighter Ali Amzad, also a senior lawyer at Sunamganj court.

“Subhash and I fought on the same front and risked our lives for the nation’s freedom. Now his name is on the list of Razakars,” said Amzad.

The list carries the name of Mirza Abdul Latif, who led the “Polashdanga Youth Camp”, a group of freedom fighters.

He had been elected lawmaker from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) in 1979 and from the Awami League in 1996 from Sirajganj.

“This is frustrating and humiliating,” Hosne Ara Mirza, the wife of Latif and vice president of Sirajganj district AL, told local journalists.

Besides, two freedom fighters from Jhalakathi are on the list, said Dulal Saha, acting commander of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad in the district, told this newspaper.

They are Shamsul Alam of Rajapur upazila, former president of the district Muktijoddha Sangsad, and Matiar Rahman of the same upazila, a freedom fighter and organiser of the Liberation War, Dulal said.

The names of eight listed freedom fighters and organisers of the Liberation War are also on the list of Razakars from Bogura zone.

Of them, Kasim Uddin Ahmed and Mojibur Rahman were freedom fighters.

The rest -- Forez Uddin Ahmed, Taher Uddin Sarkar, Mohsin Ali Mollik, Habibur Rahman, Nojibur Rahman and Abdus Sukur -- were organisers of the Liberation War.

Abir Uddin, former deputy commander of Muktijoddha Sangsad’s Adamdighi Upazila unit, said all the eight had worked for the country’s liberation.

“We are outraged, deeply shocked. We demand immediate correction of the flawed list.”

Moreover, freedom fighter Md Humayun has been included in the list of Razakars from Chandpur zone.

He is the commander of Muktijoddha Sangsad’s Matlab Upazila Dakkhin unit.

Talking to The Daily Star, Abul Ahad Chowdhury, former three-time chairman of the Central Command Council of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, said, “Any list of Razakars must be prepared after thorough verification.

“Preparation and publication of such a list without scrutiny is a big blunder.”

At first, it needs to be found out how the names of freedom fighters got included in the list and who were behind this.

“One should be extremely cautious while doing any work on the Liberation War,” he stressed.