The former students of Dhaka University have protested the exhibition of condemned war criminalsโ photos at the TSC, organised by the Dhaka University unit of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, as a brazen act by anti-liberation forces.
โWe have observed with deep concern that, at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of the University of Dhaka, a programme titled โ36 July: We Will Not Stopโ was organized by the Dhaka University unit of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibirโthe ideological and organizational successor to the war criminal-backed Islami Chhatra Sangha, a known anti-Liberation group,โ they said in a statement, signed by 73 former students, on Wednesday.
They also called upon every student of Dhaka University not to allow the legacy, glory, and sacrifices of their forebearers to be dishonoured. โThe honour and heritage of this university, as the symbol of Bangladeshโs very existence, rests in your hands. It is your solemn duty to uphold and defend it.โ
During this programme, the portraits of seven top convicted war criminals found guilty of crimes against humanity were disgracefully displayed, mockingly juxtaposed with the seven Bir Sreshtho, the highest national heroes of Bangladesh.
This act not only ridicules our greatest national heroes but also symbolises the ongoing attempts, over the past year, to rehabilitate the forces of 1971, the collaborators of genocide, and the enemies of our liberation in Bangladeshโs political landscape, the statement said.
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โWe firmly believe that the exhibition of the names and images of these perpetrators who aided mass murder, rape, and oppression during the Liberation Warโon this very campus, 54 years after independenceโconstitutes a gross insult to our national sacrifice. It is a heinous affront to the memory of our liberation struggle and a shameless act of defiance. Words fail us in expressing the depth of our condemnation. We strongly and unequivocally protest this reprehensible act.โ
The statement said that it was under the leadership of Islami Chhatra Sanghaโthe parent body of todayโs Chhatra Shibirโthat one of the most brutal massacres in the history of Dhaka University took place in 1971.
On the night of March 25, aided by Chhatra Sangha, the Pakistani occupation forces stormed the universityโs residence halls and indiscriminately gunned down hundreds of innocent students and teachers. Teachers, students, officials, staff, and their families fell victim to this genocide. Over a thousand members of the university community were killed, with Chhatra Sangha being the primary local collaborator of the Pakistani army.
Among its leaders were Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, chief organiser of the Al-Badr militia, and Abdul Quader Mollah, head of the Mirpur Al-Badr and notoriously known as the โButcher of Mirpur.โ These men were tried and convicted of war crimes, yet their images were shamelessly displayed yesterday at the TSC by Chhatra Shibir, mocking the memory of thousands of martyrs.
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The University of Dhaka is rightfully hailed as the cradle of the Liberation War, a place where the seeds of our independence were sown. Every grain of dust on this campus bears witness to the blood of our struggle. To showcase the images of war criminals at its heart is a disgrace beyond measure.
โWe reiterate that there are no words strong enough to condemn such a vile act.
โWe are compelled to assert that such a despicable act could not have taken place without the explicit support or silent consent of the current university administration. The role of the present Vice Chancellor, Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan, draws unsettling parallels with General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the commander of the genocidal Pakistani forces in 1971.
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โHis inaction and tacit approval render him complicit in this affront to national dignity. We protest in the strongest possible terms against his role in enabling such anti-liberation propaganda on campus.
โAt the same time, we extend our deepest gratitude and respect to the progressive students of the university who immediately confronted this act. Their swift and courageous response forced the removal of the war criminalsโ portraits. To these students, we offer our heartfelt salute. Your stand has prevented the normalisation of these anti-liberation forces.โ
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