The New Nation - Internet Edition

Having seen Lt General (retired) Mir Swakat Ali on Saturday with the BNP relief team at Kamrangirchar under Keraniganj Thana, one may think that the general had returned to his parent party from self-exile. Whether his return will bear fruits in the long run or not, party chief Begum Khaleda Zia needs his services very much at this moment when most of the senior leaders have ventured to reconstitute BNP in their way, perhaps minus her.

To a question, Mir Swakat said, "He has returned because the party is now free from razakar." The word 'razakar' was first heard during our war of independence from the union with West Pakistan in 1971. Razakar means volunteers i.e. those who cooperated with the then central government against our struggle for freedom. It is generally referred to the members and supporters of the Islam oriented political parties including Jamaat-i-Islami Bangladesh of the then Pakistan.

It is said that the members and the supporters of the Islam oriented political parties who supported the union with West Pakistan opted to such as activities which ethics and law does not permit In other words, they helped the West Pakistani soldiers to commit crimes like arson, raping, looting, indiscriminate killing and injuring. However after Bangladesh became a sovereign state, a handful of them were brought to justice while most of them remained at large in absence of evidence. Moreover, the Awami League Government under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman granted general amnesty to those who rendered supports to the union with West Pakistan.

And thereafter, none of them took part so far their political activities are concerned in any subversive activities or conspired against the nation. Whatsoever happened in 1971 can't be the criterion of a man's social position after 36 years. Today we must work out a plan how to recover from the flood loss with our own resources and to present a hunger free society to 150 million people. There can be no third agenda now.

That day I had an opportunity to talk to two Indonesian citizens. When I tried to confine our discussion into Dr. Ahmed Soekarno, the Architect of Indonesia, they appeared cool and said, "We look to the present as well as future."

Rabbani

Dhaka