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Curious change of heart for Jamaat

It plans to honour 5 'freedom fighters'

Staff Correspondent
Jamaat-e-Islami which once termed the freedom fighters miscreants, cowards and agents of India now moves to honour five "brave freedom fighters" selected by the party.
The party which strongly opposed the birth of Bangladesh and whose leaders were directly or indirectly involved in killing the country's intellectuals, has taken up 'elaborate programmes' to mark the Victory Day and the Martyred Intellectuals Day in due honour.
The programmes of Jamaat includes "cooperation and assistance to paralysed freedom fighters and giving honour to five brave ones for their important contributions to the Liberation War", says a party press release.
The release, however, does not mention the names of the freedom fighters.
Muktijuddher Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee strongly condemned the Jamaat move and desreibed it as hypocritical
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and audacious. It also vowed to resist such move until trial of war criminals are held and Jamaat apologises to the nation for its misdeeds during the LiberationWar.
Talking to The Daily Star, Shahriar Kabir, acting president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmui Committee, said, Jamaat, the main opponent of our Liberation War. does not have any right to observe the Victory Day until it publicly apologises for its misdeeds.
"We'll resist Jamaat wherever we see them observing any programme during the month of victory," Shahriar, also a veteran freedom fighter, vowed.
There will be no cooperation with them [ Jamaat) until trial of the war criminals is completed," he added.
He also urged all freedom * fighters to resist Jamaat if they "dare to taint Shaheed Minar or national memorial in Savar".
In a statement, Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami on Monday said. "The month of victory starts from December 1. The great Victory Day and the Martyred Intellectuals Day also lie in this month. The role and significance of this month are unlimited in our national life. We remember those brave freedom fighters with honour who sacrificed their lives and were paralysed and affected for the sake of the country."
Nizami also called upon all to be united in the month of victory and observe the Martyred InteUectuals Day on December 14 and the Victory Day on December 16 with due respect
Die party has announced to hold discussion, rally, milad and doa mahfil to mark the days.
It would also hoist national flag at all its office, says the press release.
Jamaat's mouthpiece the daily San gram covered a speech by Golam Azam in 1971. The report quoted Azam as saying: Pakistan is the house of Islam for the world Muslims. Therefore, Jamaat activists don't justify being alive had Pakistan disintegrated," in his address to a reception of Jamaat ministers at defunct Hotel Empire in Dhaka.
Jamaat incumbent Ameer Nizami, who was the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha, student wing of Jamaat in 1971, said in an article, "Sacred land Pakistan is the home of Allah for establishing His rules."
Nizami, who has succeeded Golam Azam, had also labelled the freedom fighters as "khodadrohi" {rebels against Allah).
He said in that article, "The cowards (freedom fighters] who are against Allah have attacked this holy land (Pakistan)."
The Sangram quoted him on September 15, 1971 as saying: "Everyone of us should assume the roleofaMuslim soldier of an Islamic state and through cooperation to the oppressed and by winning their confidence we must kill those, who are hatching conspiracy against Pakistan
and Islam."
Records show that Jamaat formed Razakar and Al-Badr to counter the freedom fighters. Razakar force was established by former Jamaat secretary general Moulana Abul Kalam Mohammad Yousuf,' while AI-Badr comprised the Islami Chhatra San gha activists.
Anticipating sure defeat, the Pakistani forces and their collaborators - Razakar, Al-Badr andAl-Shams (mostly leaders of Jamaat and its student front] -picked up leading Bangali intellectuals and professionals on December 14 and killed them en masse in an attempt to intellectually cripple the nation.