Piash’s father had to be ‘Peace Committee’ chairman under duress: Anisul Huq

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UNB, Dhaka :
Amid a controversy over late BRAC University Prof Piash Kraim’s father’s role during the Liberation War, Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said MA Karim had to be ‘Peace Committee’ chairman under duress to get his school-going son Piash released from the clutches of Pakistani occupation forces.
“Pakistan occupation Army picked up Piash Karim and took him to Comilla Circuit House in mid-1971, as he had distributed leaflets and worked in favour of the Liberation
War. He was just 13 at that time,” he said.
The Law Minister was talking to reporters after attending a programme at BIAM auditorium in the city.
Anisul Huq came up with the same remarks at the Secretariat in the afternoon.
The minister further said, “Advocate MA Karim, the then Comilla Awami League’s founding treasurer, secured Piash Karim’s release after signing a bond and accepting the Pakistani Army’s conditions.”
The Pak Army’s conditions included that Piash would no longer work in favour of the Liberation War and not even hold any meeting, the minister told the journalists adding that Piash’s father had become the Peace Committee chairman at the fag end of the war as per their (Pak Army) condition.
Anisul Huq said he feels bad when he hears unwanted remarks about a person who died 20-21 years back. “The allegation brought against MA Karim for killing Dhirendra Dutt is unacceptable.”
The Law Minister went on saying, “I know many things about Piash Karim. Whatever I’m saying about him, I’m saying with full responsibility. But, I don’t want to say anything about his political belief,” he added.
Anisul Huq termed baseless what Ganajagaran Mancha and Chhatra Moitri were telling about Pisah Karim and about his role in favour of war criminals.
Piash Karim, a professor of BRAC University’s Economics and Social Sciences Department, died of cardiac arrest early Monday at the age of 56.
He came under fire by different quarters for his comments against Sahahbagh Ganajagaran Mancha and the trial procedure of the International War Crimes Tribunals.
Though there was a plan to bring his body to Central Shaheed Minar for enabling people from all strata to pay their last tributes to him, his family members shelved it as the Dhaka University authorities denied permission to bring his body to the Shaheed Minar amid objection by some student and cultural organisations.
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