Jamaat's Dhaka push rekindles 1971 scars

Islamists' Pak Support Haunts Mukti Bahini War Veterans

As Jamaat-e-Islami locks horns with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the high-stakes Bangladesh elections scheduled on Feb 12, with many seeing it as the party's best chance yet to win a Dhaka seat on its own, the prospect has stirred deep unease among former Mukti Bahini fighters.


The Mukti Bahini - a militia of freedom fighters trained by the Indian Army - played a decisive role in the 1971 liberation war against the Pakistan Army in then-East Pakistan. During the war, they also confronted members of Jamaat-e-Islami, which had opposed Bangladesh's independence and sided with the Pakistan Army.

"How can we forget that this is the same organisation that was against the very idea of Bangladesh and never wanted freedom from Pakistan, while siding with their army during the 1971 liberation war? It is extremely difficult for us to come to terms with that," said 74-year-old Shekhar Goswami, a Dhaka resident and former Mukti Bahini fighter who fought alongside the Indian Army.

Recalling an incident from the ongoing campaign, Goswami told TOI that a Jamaat-e-Islami worker had visited his neighbourhood a few days ago, urging residents to vote for their party. "I immediately countered him, saying, 'How dare you come to us? I am a freedom fighter and I have seen with my own eyes what Jamaat people did while collaborating with the Pakistan Army in 1971,'" Goswami said. "After my strong response, he quietly left. It only proved my point. Even today, they cannot hold their heads high in this country because of their past." Terming the allegations against them 'baseless', Jamaat-e-Islami media and publicity secretary, Matiur Rahman Akanda, said, "The people of Bangladesh are well aware of the blame game initiated against us. They have rejected it outright and are welcoming us with open arms. The election results will prove how much the people love us."

Former Mukti Bahini members are not convinced though. An ex-figher of the outfit, now an octogenarian living in Mymensingh, said his opposition to Jamaat-e-Islami went beyond its wartime role. "Their politics goes against the very ethos of Bangladesh," he alleged. "During the freedom struggle, people of all religions fought together for independence. Bangladesh belongs to everyone, not to followers of a single religion. Jamaat's ideology stands against this idea and threatens our motherland. Every sane citizen should oppose them, especially since they have still not officially apologised to the nation they now seek to govern," he added. Incidentally, Jamaat-e-Islami's ameer (chief) Shafiqur Rahman had recently said that they were willing to apologise "if our mistakes are proven beyond doubt." Another former Mukati Bahini fighter, 76-year-old Mudassar Ali, said that the memories of the liberation war still haunt many veterans. "We witnessed unspeakable horrors. The worst was the violation of our women by the Pakistan Army, aided by Jamaat-e-Islami collaborators known as Razakars. Those images still flash before our eyes," he said.

The party has also faced sharp attacks from the BNP, its main competitor. BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman questioned, "Those who are now asking for people's support - the people of this country have already seen them in 1971. They not only killed lakhs of people, but their collaborators violated countless mothers and sisters..."



Meanwhile, Bangaldesh-watchers said that it will be interesting to see how Jamaat candidates fare in the polls. Sanjay K Bhardwaj, professor, School of International Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said, "Voters are aware of past incidents. It is not as if Jamaat is hiding its history. That said, the party seems to be working to bring back the forces that sided with the Pakistan army in 1971. How they fare in the polls will have implications for not just Bangladesh, but also India."

Corroborating Bhardwaj, Mohammed Saiful Alam Chowdhury, associate professor for dept of mass communication and journalism at Dhaka University told TOI that despite evolving as a strong political force in the elections, the ‘stigma related to 1971 liberation war will remain intact with Jamaat-e-Islami.’

“Their role as collaborators with the Pakistani army during the freedom struggle is well known. They helped them identify intellectuals and other important figures only to be later eliminated. Otherwise, how could the Pakistani army be in a position to go into alleys and streets to identify their homes? These were the people who helped them in doing that,” said Chowdhury, while speaking from Dhaka.

Chowdhury added, “Even if they win these elections, their past blot won’t be washed away. Till date they have not formally apologised for their crime, rather offered a vague apology while calling their role a ‘mistake’. They forget that crime and mistakes are never equal.”