The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Leading academics, journalists and politicians at a roundtable meeting yesterday called upon the Government to declare the persons accused in the historic Agartala Case as national heroes.

Referring to the significance of the consequence of the Agartala case, popularly known as the conspiracy case, against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his associates, they said the nation would recall the contribution of the case to the War of Liberation forever.

Parishad of Agartala Case Accused Persons, a platform of the accused persons in the case, organised the meeting on "Historic Agartala Case (State versus Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others) had played an important role in achieving the Independence of Bangladesh", at the National Press Club chaired by its President Khorshed Uddin Ahmed.

Awami League Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed said the War of Liberation began the day the Agartala case was lodged by the then Pakistani government to destroy the Bangalee nation's movement for autonomy.

"The Agartala Case filed in '68 created the mass upsurge in '69 which was followed by election of '70 and ultimately forwarded the nation towards victory in the War of Liberation in '71," he said.

He said the contribution of Agartala case in sowing the seed of independence is unforgettable and the nation would recall it forever with gratefulness.

Tofail Ahmed referred to a bill piloted in the Seventh Parliament when the Awami League was in power to declare the accused persons in Agartala case as national heroes but failed.

He regretted that they had many things to do when the party was in power but they could not do those.

Eminent journalist Foyez Ahmed, who had covered the proceedings of the Agartala case for the then Daily Azad and was familiar with Bangabandhu, recalled how Sheikh Mujib had dealt with the case and given his statement.

He said Bangabandhu wanted to talk to him when the trial was in progress in the tribunal room but he was responding to him indirectly.

Former lawmaker Shah Hadiuzzaman said the accused persons in Agartala case should be given the status of national heroes.

"We have to carry out movement until the government provides them (accused persons in the case) that status," he said.

Col (Retd) Shawkat Ali, who moderated the function, said the death of Sergeant Zahurul Haque played the catalytic role in creating mass upsurge and forcing the government to free Bangabandhu and other accused in the case on February 22 in 1969.

Former minister Begum Sajeda Chowdhury called upon all to resist the anti-liberation forces saying that freedom fighters are now not allowed to convene meetings but they are criticising them strongly in the name of waz (religious speeches).

Prof Harunor Rashid said the accused persons are national heroes and partners of the War of Liberation. He said the case was filed to destroy the historic six-point movement.

Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the accused persons in Agartala case should be given the status of national heroes immediately since they had played a heroic role for the emancipation of the nation.

Commander Abdur Rouf said mass upsurge in '69 could not have been created if the Agartala case was not filed and the War of Liberation was not fought.

He called upon the youth to get prepared to fight against the defeated forces of '71.

Prof Mostari Ahmed in her keynote paper termed the Agartala case as a histories incident saying that it had expedited the achievement of independence of the country.

"The Agartala case turned the mass movement in 1969 into a mass upsurge," she said.

The meeting was also addressed, among others, by Col (Red) Mollick, Ajoy Roy, Majeda Shawkat Ali and Jahanara Begum.