Several leftist political parties, cultural organisations and 41 prominent citizens have protested the inclusion of convicted “war criminals” in the condolence motion during the first session of the 13th parliament.
In a joint statement issued today (13 March), 41 poets, writers, journalists, researchers and development workers called for the immediate removal of the relevant portion of the condolence motion from the official parliamentary records.
They also urged authorities to ensure that similar controversial steps are not taken in the future.
The statement was signed by: poet Nirmalendu Goon; teacher Professor Abu Yusuf; poets Henry Swapan, Shahed Kayes, Manik Bairagi, Hasida Moon, Safi Kamal Riad, Mahmud Nasir, Kaiyum Khan, Syed Shishir, Rudra Shayak, and Sanjib Purohit; poet and magazine editor Rois Mukul; writer and teacher Sanjay Sarkar; writer and filmmaker Shahadat Rasel; short story writer Prosun Talukdar; writer Piyush Kanti Barua; poet and researcher Niaz Al Kazi; poet and Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Santan Sangsad Shafi Samudra; woman entrepreneur and activist Laila Noor; poet and education development worker Mashrura Lucky; activist and film worker Juton Chandra Das; activist and social development worker Rishav Majumdar; teacher and social development worker Raju Anarya; Liberation War researcher Nazneen Sultana; teacher and film researcher Monis Rafiq; sociologist Jacky Islam; poet Shamima Sultana; political analyst Liton Banerjee; journalist and film director Debabrata Rony; writer and journalist Shahan Sahabuddin; writer and publisher Abu Sayeed; editor and activist Milon Syed; poet and activist Kutub Hilali; and poet and columnist Mir Robi.
Meanwhile, in separate statements, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Basad) condemned the move, describing it as a betrayal of the sacrifices made during the country’s Liberation War.
CPB President Kazi Sazzad Zahir Chandan and General Secretary Abdullah Al Kafi Ratan said adopting a condolence motion in the names of those convicted of crimes against humanity in 1971 amounts to a grave insult to the three million martyrs and hundreds of thousands of women who suffered brutal atrocities during the war.
They alleged that individuals associated with the ideology of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its supporters had shown “unforgivable audacity” by supporting such a proposal in parliament.
The Basad also demanded that the names of the convicted “war criminals” be expunged from the condolence motion.
The party’s General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said the move set a “shameful precedent” and undermined the collective consciousness shaped by decades of struggle and sacrifice.
Cultural organisation Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi also condemned the development, saying the inclusion of the names of convicted “war criminals” in a parliamentary condolence motion not only distorts history but also dishonours the martyrs of the Liberation War.
In their statement, acting President Mahmud Selim and General Secretary Amit Ranjan Dey further alleged that some opposition lawmakers showed disrespect to the national anthem by not standing during its performance and demanded appropriate action.
Separately, the Ganatantrik Jukta Front, a coalition of six left-leaning student organisations, also criticised the decision.
Its leaders said including the names of identified collaborators of the 1971 genocide in the condolence motion was unacceptable and amounted to a betrayal of the martyrs of the Liberation War.
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