Staff Reporter :Sector Commanders’ Forum (SCF) on Friday relieved Air Vice-Marshal (Retd) AK Khandaker from the Forum’s all posts, including primary membership and elected Major General (Retd) KM Shafiullah its new chief.The decision was taken at a meeting of the SCF Central Working Committee, says a statement signed by its Acting Secretary General Haroon Habib.Earlier on Wednesday, former Chairman AK Khandaker resigned, citing his old age as the contributing factor.AK Khandaker, who was the Deputy Chief of the Liberation War Forces in 1971, faces strident criticism from different quarters, including members of the Parliament, civil society members and freedom fighters, for some controversial claims he made in his recent book “1971: Bhitore Baire”.In the book, he claimed that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman finished his historic March 7 speech in 1971 saying ‘Joy Pakistan.’.A minister of the immediate past Awami League-led government, AK Khandaker also raised questions about the announcement of independence by Bangabandhu on the night of March 25 in 1971. On September 6, 21 SCF leaders in a joint statement criticised the former air chief and said the contents of his book were “misleading” and lacked objectivity.
