Staff Reporter :
The Liberation War Affairs Ministry on Wednesday withheld the flawed list of Razakars amid huge criticism across the country.
“We withheld the list as allegations were raised against the list of Razakars. We will publish a fresh list following scrutiny on March 26,” Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque came up with the assurance during a programme organised by some freedom fighters of Manikganj on Wednesday afternoon.
Amid countrywide outrage, the Liberation War Affairs Minister said that the names of freedom fighters and members of pro-liberation organisations will be dropped from the list of Razakars. The ministry on Sunday published the names of 10,789 Razakars, who collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in carrying out mass killings and atrocities against the Bangalees during the 1971 Liberation War. But the list drew huge criticism as the names of many language movement veterans and freedom fighters were included in the list.
The Liberation War Affairs Minister on Monday told reporters that his ministry did not prepare the list. They just published the list as it was provided by the Home Ministry.
“After the removal of the names, the ministry will publish a fresh list,” he said.
The freedom fighters do not need to apply for dropping their names, said the minister.
Refuting Minister Mozammel Haque’s claim, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Wednesday said that his ministry did not give any list of Razakars, Al-Badrs and Al-Shams to the Liberation War Affairs Ministry.
Rather, the Home Ministry provided a list of those who are accused under the Collaborators Act, the minister said while briefing media at his office at the secretariat in the afternoon.
Asaduzzaman Khan said, “The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs sought a list of Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams from us. We told them that we had no such list. But, there was a list of over 10,000 people who were made accused in cases filed under Collaborators Act between 1972 and 1974.
“However, some 996 individuals were excluded from the list as they were implicated in the cases mistakenly or out of enmity. And, we have also given notes about those names while giving this list to the Liberation War Affairs Ministry. But they published the whole list,” he added.
He said: “If there is any mistake from our part, we will look into it. We will take action against those who committed crime intentionally in this regard.”
On December 15, the Liberation War Affairs Ministry published a list of 10,789 Razakars who were collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War in 1971.
