The National Citizen Party on Monday asked the accused collaborators in the genocide during the War of Independence in 1971 to clarify their political position to the nation.
The call came in a statement that explained the NCP’s position on recent political debates raised over partisan slogans and the resistance to singing the national anthem by a group during recent demonstrations demanding a ban on and trial of the Awami League.
‘Those who opposed the people’s liberation war in this land in 1971 and are accused of collaborating in the genocide, we want them to clearly explain their political stance before the nation to strengthen national reconciliation and unity, and to contribute to realising the people’s aspirations behind the uprising of 2024,’ read the statement without mentioning the names of any political parties.
‘The National Citizen Party-NCP believes that a proper recognition of and respect for the historical chapters of the Bangladeshi people’s struggles — namely in 1947, 1971, and 2024 —are fundamental preconditions for political parties to engage in the politics in Bangladesh,’ said the statement, signed by NCP joint member secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat.
According to the NCP, a party or group has the responsibility to clearly explain its stance to the people for national unity if that party or group had any political position or ideology that created division and disunity in the past.
Expressing concern over the issues of partisan slogans and resistance to national anthem performance, the NCP said, ‘A group has deliberately chanted partisan slogans and slogans opposing the historic struggles of the people of Bangladesh.’
The NCP considers it an obstacle to the opportunity to renew national unity after July.
The party stated that no NCP member has chanted partisan slogans or slogans that go against the struggles and history of the people of this land.
‘Therefore, the relevant party must bear the responsibility for the objectionable slogans that have raised questions in the public mind,’ read the NCP statement.
The NCP also stated that protesters in demonstrations have firmly sung the national anthem while a group has objected to the performance of the anthem.
Earlier, students, individuals injured during the July uprising, and activists from a wide political spectrum — including the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh, Inquilab Mancha, Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, and Amar Bangladesh Party — joined demonstrations following the call from NCP leaders Nahid Islam and Hasnat Abdullah demanding ban on and trial of the AL.
Some video clips covering demonstrations showed that a group was objecting to the performance of the national anthem and another group chanting slogan —‘Ghulam Azam-er Banglay Awami League-er thai nai’ (the Awami League has no place in Ghulam Azam’s Bangladesh) — drew huge criticisms from people.
Ghulam Azam was a former chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami who was convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal for his role in the War of Independence in 1971.
