A story of 1971
“Hum Namaj parega, Roza Rakhe ga, hum Musalman hai etc”. This was the Urdu reply of my father who was a 60 years old, influential village man with no knowledge of Urdu at all. He had to prove that he was a Muslim to a squad of Pakistani soldiers who were led to our home by a group of Razakars. One of the members of Razakars was my father's brother-in-law. My poor father could not satisfy the brutal Pakistani soldiers by his poor Urdu about his Muslim identity. He was trembling with fear. While the squad was leaving, one of the soldiers hit my father by the butt of his gun on his chest. The pain of this hit on his chest persisted till his death. He was complaining about the pain and I still feel that if I could found that soldier I would have killed him. Even if I face him today, probably I will hurt him if I can't kill him.
I was young at that time. Fearing being killed by the Pakistani army, I was hiding in a bush while I saw the squad coming towards our village. Many other young men like me did not cross the border. We remained in our own area, worked and fought against the Pakistani occupation forces on different fields.
My father's brother-in-law, the above-mentioned Razakar, visited my father several times after that day and advised him to convince me to join the Razakar Bahini or face dire consequences. I personally remember the activities of Razakars and Al-Badr men during the war of liberation. I remember how they led and showed ways to the Pakistani soldiers to the homes of many who did not join those heinous groups. They led the Pakistani soldiers to the houses they knew where there were young members who did not join the anti-liberation forces and also where there were beautiful women… My father's brother-in-law became very influential in the area because he was a commander of a squad. My father cut off relations with him.
I saw how two villages --Alampur and Boroitala under Kazipur PS in Pabna-- were completely burnt down by the Pakistani soldiers and their collaborators Al-Badr and Razakars. Many known and unknown people gave their lives in the hands of those Razakars during the liberation war. I will never forget my personal experiences till my death.
After the liberation war was over this Razakar uncle (I hate to call him uncle)) faced the due backlash. He was caught by Mukti Bahini men and was being dragged away to be killed. It was my father who saved his life. He was, however, severely beaten by the Mukti Bahini members.
Now leaders and commanders of those heinous Bahinis are audaciously claiming that there was no liberation war and there were no war criminals in Bangladesh! Do I have to erase my own memory? Who gave them this audacity, who gave them such arrogance to say so?
If not tried, the war criminals must be stopped from saying so. Otherwise, we would remain liars to our own children. They will not believe the History of our Liberation War and the sacrifices their forefathers made for giving them a free homeland of their own called Bangladesh.
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