The government has decided to change the commemorative plaques kept at the ministries containing the names of three executed war criminals.
“The plaque in my room contains the name of war criminal Salauddin Quader [Chowdhury]. I have asked officials concerned to change the plaque. We cannot drop his name,” said Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain.
BNP leader Salauddin served as housing and public works minister from May 25, 1986; and Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami as agriculture and industries minister; and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid as social welfare minister during 2001-06.
Salauddin and Mujahid were executed on November 22 last year while Nizami on May 11.
“We will add war criminal tag after his name so that it stays for long and people can see it,” he told Bangla Tribune on Thursday.
His ministry has also taken steps to cancel the plots given to the convicted war criminals, Mosharraf said.
Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee got a plot at Purbachal New Town, Nizami on Road No 18 of Banani, Mujahid on Road No 10 at Uttara sector 11 while Kamaruzzaman in Mirpur Journalists' Colony.
“We have already asked Rajuk to take action. Rajuk and National Housing Authority will cancel the plots following due legal steps.”
When asked, the minister said that their families would not be given any compensation for the move. “Why should the government compensate them? We are also analysing whether any other convicted war criminal got government plots,” he added.
Of the four, only the plot of Sayedee has left vacant while others built six-storey buildings.
“Nizami was given the plot for his contribution to the nation. What did he do? He was given the plot for his heroics by opposing the Liberation War in 1971,” the minister added.
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