Staff Reporter :
Noted jurist Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday termed the debate over raising question about the number of martyrs during the Liberation War in 1971 as sick politics, saying everyone must abide by the Constitution if he or she wants to do politics in the country.
“No one has the authority to raise question about
the number of martyrs in a sovereign and independent country like Bangladesh. Irrespective of party affiliation, they must abide or go by the Constitution if want to do politics here,” Dr Kamal, President Gono Forum, told journalists in the sidelines of his party’s standing committee meeting at Arambagh in the city.
Dr Kamal, also framer of the country’s Constitution, said the dreams of the people and freedom fighters, who embraced martyrdom during the Liberation War, have not come true yet.
“We all should come forward and be united in a bid to implement the martyred dreams,” he said. “Is there any scope to make debates what we achieved on December 16 in 1971, which is written in our Constitution? This is a sick politics,” while he sought his comments about BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s remarks questioning if really three million people were killed during the Liberation War. Visibly annoyed with the Controversy, the veteran politician said, nobody has rights to do politics defying the Constitution. “Whoever belongs to whatever party, must abide by the constitution,” he said. On December 21, Khaleda Zia at a discussion in city raised the question about the exact number of people embraced martyrdom in the country’s 1971 Liberation War. Khaleda’s remarks triggered widespread criticism as different political parties, socio-cultural organisations and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee asked her to withdraw her comments and apologise.
Besides, thousands of people staged demonstration and demanded to put BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on trial in sedition charge for raising question about the number of martyrs during the country’s Liberation War.
A Dhaka court in January summoned BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on March 23 in a sedition case to explain her comments on the number of 1971 martyrs.
Earlier in the same month, Supreme Court lawyer Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi, also a member of executive body of Bangladesh Awami League, filed the case with the court, urging it to issue a warrant for Khaleda’s arrest.
Meanwhile, terming farce the sedition case filed against its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, BNP said this was done just out of political vengeance to remove her from politics.
Following the development, the International War Crimes Tribunal on February 1 ruled out all possibilities of a debate over the number of people martyred during the Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
According to official figure, the war death toll is 30 lakh people (3 million) while 2.5 lakh women were violated by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators.
About 10 million people fled the country to take shelter in India, while millions more were internally displaced.
Noted jurist Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday termed the debate over raising question about the number of martyrs during the Liberation War in 1971 as sick politics, saying everyone must abide by the Constitution if he or she wants to do politics in the country.
“No one has the authority to raise question about
the number of martyrs in a sovereign and independent country like Bangladesh. Irrespective of party affiliation, they must abide or go by the Constitution if want to do politics here,” Dr Kamal, President Gono Forum, told journalists in the sidelines of his party’s standing committee meeting at Arambagh in the city.
Dr Kamal, also framer of the country’s Constitution, said the dreams of the people and freedom fighters, who embraced martyrdom during the Liberation War, have not come true yet.
“We all should come forward and be united in a bid to implement the martyred dreams,” he said. “Is there any scope to make debates what we achieved on December 16 in 1971, which is written in our Constitution? This is a sick politics,” while he sought his comments about BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s remarks questioning if really three million people were killed during the Liberation War. Visibly annoyed with the Controversy, the veteran politician said, nobody has rights to do politics defying the Constitution. “Whoever belongs to whatever party, must abide by the constitution,” he said. On December 21, Khaleda Zia at a discussion in city raised the question about the exact number of people embraced martyrdom in the country’s 1971 Liberation War. Khaleda’s remarks triggered widespread criticism as different political parties, socio-cultural organisations and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee asked her to withdraw her comments and apologise.
Besides, thousands of people staged demonstration and demanded to put BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on trial in sedition charge for raising question about the number of martyrs during the country’s Liberation War.
A Dhaka court in January summoned BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on March 23 in a sedition case to explain her comments on the number of 1971 martyrs.
Earlier in the same month, Supreme Court lawyer Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi, also a member of executive body of Bangladesh Awami League, filed the case with the court, urging it to issue a warrant for Khaleda’s arrest.
Meanwhile, terming farce the sedition case filed against its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, BNP said this was done just out of political vengeance to remove her from politics.
Following the development, the International War Crimes Tribunal on February 1 ruled out all possibilities of a debate over the number of people martyred during the Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
According to official figure, the war death toll is 30 lakh people (3 million) while 2.5 lakh women were violated by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators.
About 10 million people fled the country to take shelter in India, while millions more were internally displaced.
