Martyrs' children also for making it criminal offence

Condemning the outrageous remarks of BNP leader Goyeshwar Chandra Roy about martyred intellectuals and BNP chief Khaleda Zia's questioning of the number of martyrs in the Liberation War, Projonmo '71 demanded a "Liberation War Denial Act" immediately.

Projonmo '71, an organisation of martyrs' children, made the demand at a human chain at the Central Shaheed Minar, and also urged the government to file sedition cases against those who commented against the Liberation War and denied historical truths. They also urged the people to boycott Khaleda and her followers politically and socially.

The BNP chief said on Monday, "There are controversies over how many people were martyred in the Liberation War."

Three days later, BNP leader Goyeshwar Chandra Roy described the 1971 martyred intellectuals as "anti-liberation elements" who "died like fools" and drew salaries from Pakistan till the war ended. Supporting Khaleda, he said, "As far as I know, there is a list of 2.76 lakh families of the martyred in the Liberation War affairs ministry. Then where did the remaining 27 lakh come from?"

Criticising the BNP chief, theatre personality Nasiruddin Yousuff said Khaleda should count the number of assassinated Pakistani army soldiers instead of the freedom fighters.

Martyred filmmaker Zahir Raihan's son Anol Raihan said Khaleda was trying to please Pakistan to go to power by making such comments. "We have to boycott them in the national and local polls," he said.

Asif Munier, son of Munier Chowdhury, said, "They actually insulted a sovereign, independent country. The state must file a sedition case against them immediately."