The country’s social fabric which binds the people together beyond politics is fast breaking apart at all level. Friends and admirers wanted to put the body of Prof Pias Karim of BRAC University at Shaheed Minar for showing their last respect. But the denial of permission of Dhaka University authorities and resistance of the pro-government student bodies came as a severe shock to the nation.
They termed Prof Pias karim as a Razakar as he would discuss in TV talk shows in a political frame which was critical of the government and appeared more close to opposition politics. Pias Karim was a young freedom fighter coming from a family of elderly Awami League leaders of Comilla district, as lately disclosed by the Law Minister. But since he was critical of the present Awami League regime’s policies, he was lamented as a anti-liberation element along with his father and forefathers. He was punished on his death for opposing the government.
The action of the “pro-liberation” bodies under overt support of the government prompted outcry from all level as such horrendous act happened never before at Shaheed Minar But no sooner had this shock mingled in the air, the student leaders extended the ban on nine more outstanding intellectuals including journalists, academics and civil society think tank who are still healthy and yet to be taken to Shaheed Minar. They said on their death their bodies also can’t be taken to Shaheed Minar.
Major opposition BNP, other socio-political parties and civil society organizations have denounced the act saying it signals the rise of fascism which want to divide the people and destroy the unity of the nation in one hand and make the country volatile by unleashing hostilities in public life on the other.
Shaheed Minar can’t be the property of a particular party or group, it belongs to all, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said in reaction to the ban while blaming the government for sheltering such divisive politics. Barrister Rafiqul Haque was more blunt. He said Shaaheed Minar is not the paternal property to any person or group. Dr Akbar Ali Khan warned of terrible consequences if things like this continue to happen.
But the leaders of these ultra-secularist student organizations who are using the bogies of religious extremism and communalism as a threat to the secular foundation of this predominantly Muslin nation will not stop here. Bangladesh Chatra League – the student front of the ruling Awami League and other left student bodies affiliated to left political parties comprising the ruling coalition made it clear that people who openly speak for religious cause, support ‘destructive’ BNP politics and oppose the government are essentially enemies of the basic secular concept of the state and friend to those who had opposed the liberation war.
Shaheed Minar symbolizes the spirit of the Language Movement which led to the creation of a secular Bangladesh through the liberation war. Therefore the presence of such people at Shaheed Minar either living or dead undermine the non-communal character of the state and this is not acceptable and as such they should not have any place at Shaheed Minar. They said new names will be added to the list soon.
But why Pias Karim and nine others is their target. They are not overtly religious in their life and look like more liberal democrats in their professional careers. They are not primary members of any political parties which are opposed to the ruling Awami League and other coalition partners. As far as I know many of them were members of left student organizations and even today they feel more comfortable with secular politics.
The fact is that they made them enemy of the government taking part in TV debates often giving views to the embarrassment of the government using their democratic rights and far-sight on contemporary socio-political issues. But why it should be treated as a crime to be chased even beyond one’s death.
For Pias Karim Law Minister advocate Anisul Haq said he personally knew him from boyhood. He was a young freedom fighter at his 13 during the liberation war. The Law Minister also said Pias Karim was held by Pakistani occupation army while distributing leaflets in Comilla town during liberation war. The question is how come it then he became a Razakar over time.
Pias Karim’s father M A Karim was a leading lawyer in the district town and a founding member of Comilla district Awami League. He later became its treasurer. He had to sign a bond to Pakistani army to secure the release of his son. Then he had to became president of District Peace Committee as part of the condition of his son’s release.
M A Karim however worked for the liberation war, protected the freedom fighters giving them identity cards. Anisul Haque said it is not true that he had killed Dheran Dutt as alleged by neo-Awami League leaders to establish Pias Karim has in fact inherited the legacy of a Razakar’ family.
The Law Minister also ruled out the allegation that Pias Karim’s grand father Dr M A Rouf was a Razakar. He died in 1957 or 58 even before the liberation war. His maternal grand father was a founding president of Comilla district Awami League and a minister of Jokto Front government. Law Minister dismissed the allegations from some people that he was also a Razakar. It appears that the ruling party men have brought all such charges against Pias Karim and his family only to demean him to public eyes for his TV talk show deliveries which were often critical of the government.
Question now arises why the pro-government student organizations are out to make the Shaheed Minar the centre of a political contest. We hold the view that if Shaheed Mirar is the symbol of unity, there should not be any partisan politics around it. Such politics will then reduce the place to the status of an enclave only accessible to the secularists while the non-secular population who make up the vast majority of the nation may lose interest and respect for the Language Mausoleum. It will be highly disgraceful for a nation and bring disrespect to the language mortars.
We are a nation and must build it together. The people who are putting ban on our outstanding sons of the soil from their right to receive last respect at Shaheed Minar even may be nowhere in near future. But their bad examples may remain disturbing as an example to the hand of others. We must avoid such politics and act with far-sight.
Source: Weekly Holiday
