Mozammel accuses previous govts of intentionally sabotaging Razakar list

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque has claimed that other governments who were in power for 30 years might have intentionally sabotaged Razakar list.

He made the statement in a rally organized by Manikganj Freedom Fighters Parliament in the Bijoy Mela ground on Wednesday.

Expressing regret, he said: “Over 30 years, different governments who were in power might have intentionally added names of freedom fighters in the list, which was protected by the Home Ministry."

“We could have never imagined that they [other governments] could do something like this, which led to this mistake, and we are apologetic for this.”

The minister also said: “Next time, the names will be collected from the offices of deputy commissioners or upazila nirbahi officers and released phase by phase.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque speaks at a rally organized by Manikganj Freedom Fighters Parliament in the Bijoy Mela ground in Manikganj on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 | Dhaka Tribune

“Before publishing it, we will hold investigations so that nothing goes wrong.”

AKM Mozammel said: “A certain group of people are mad at me as I have published the list of Razakar, al-Badr and al-Shams. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul has asked about the need of publishing the list after 48 years and accused us of including their party members’ name in the list by conspiracy."

“They find conspiracy in everything.”

The new generation needs to know about the brutal atrocities and torture of Pakistani army and their allies during the Liberation War and not only just the war’s glory. Only then they can analyze it properly, he added.

The minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will provide 14,000 houses, worth Tk16 lakh each, to freedom fighters for the centennial birth anniversary of Bangabandhu and also make sure there is no corruption.

The project will begin from February 2020 and insolvent freedom fighters will get priority in this regard, he added.