DHAKA, Dec 18, 2019 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the freedom fighters
and their family members to show restraint and patience as her government has initiated
scrutinizing the recently published Razakars list to rectify the mistakes.
“No freedom fighters will remain in the list of Razakars. I want to say it clearly that no
freedom fighter will be labelled as a Razakar. It should not be happened. It is unbecoming. It
will not happen anymore during the tenure of my government,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while delivering her opening speech at the meeting of Bangladesh
Awami League Central Working Committee at Ganabhaban here ahead of the National Council of Awami League slated for December 20-21.
She said it is a matter of regret that the freedom fighters, who have fought for the
country, have been labelled as Razakars. “The people who got hurt should remain calm and show forgiveness”.
The premier went on saying that the names of freedom fighters could not be enlisted as
Razakars.
It (the recently published list) can in no way be the list of Razakars,” said the Prime
Minister adding that there are separate lists of Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams which had
been published in the gazette.
She said confusion has been raised over the publication of the list of Razakars as the list
was not properly scrutinized and even the footnotes on the list were not reviewed properly.
During the regime of Pakistan, a list of terrorists had been prepared incorporating the
names of many freedom fighters which had been used by military dictators Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad, and even Khaleda Zia.
They even filed cases against the freedom fighters terming them as terrorists, she said.
The premier said confusion has been raised between the list of terrorists prepared during
the Pakistani regime and the list of Razakars.
The PM said she earlier directed the Liberation War Affairs Ministry to publish the
list after making a thorough scrutiny, without making any hurry.
But the ministry did it in a hurried manner ahead of the Victory Day, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said once late President Zillur Rahman and incumbent President Md Abdul Hamid had been labelled as the top terrors in Kishoreganj.
Later it was learnt that their names appeared as the top terrors according to a list prepared by the Pakistan government, she said adding that the government of that time had the list.
Sheikh Hasina said she asked to omit the terror list (prepared by the Pakistan government) but it still exists.
It is a matter of regret that the names of freedom fighters came surface in the list of Razakars just before the Victory Day was celebrated amid festivity, she said adding that it (incorporation of freedom fighters in the list of Razakars) is definitely a punishable offence and the real culprits will face the music.
The Premier said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had initiated the trial of war criminals immediately after the independence of Bangladesh. But Ziaur Rahman stopped the trial and brought anti-liberation elements in the power.
The anti-liberation elements incorporated the names of many collaborators in the list of freedom fighters, she went on.
Spelling out the massive development works taken by her government, the premier said Bangladesh is now recognised as the role model for development across the world. “Today Bangladesh has emerged as development miracle,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said her government brought down the poverty rate at 20.5 percent and increased the GDP growth rate at 8.15 percent.
Mentioning that the poverty rate has been declined by 1.3 percent in the last one year, she said the rate would be brought down at 16-17 percent.