CU pro-VC terms the issue of ‘killing of intellectuals by Pakistani forces’ illogical

Chattogram University (CU) Pro Vice Chancellor (Pro VC-Academic) Prof Mohammad Shamim Uddin Khan has described the issue of the killing of Bangladeshi intellectuals by the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War as “illogical.”

He said, “At a time when I (the Pakistani forces) was trying to flee the country and there was no certainty whether I would live or die, I (Shamim) think it is utterly illogical that Pakistani fighters would then engage in killing Bangladeshi intellectuals.”

He made the remarks while speaking as a special guest at a discussion organised on the occasion of the “Martyred Intellectuals Day” at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office on the university campus on Sunday.

Prof Shamim in his speech said that through an international conspiracy, intellectuals were killed to turn this country into a tributary state of another nation.

“To this day, we have not been able to trace Zahir Raihan. Had we been able to find him, we would have known the true history,” he said.

The pro-VC also expressed doubt over the number of martyrs of the Liberation War.

Referring to a television talk show, he said, “Last night, I saw freedom fighter Akhtaruzzaman speaking on a TV talk show. When he was asked that you used to say that lakhs of people were martyred in 1971. Now you have joined politics against that narrative - why?’ He replied that these were rhetorical statements and not true.”

“We do not want rhetorical statements before the nation. We want reality. We want to know what actually happened in Bangladesh in 1971, who were martyred, and who carried out the killings. We do not have that information till now,” said the professor.

He urged Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to form an independent and neutral commission to determine what exactly happened on 14 December in 1971.

“No list of martyrs or Razakars has been prepared till now. We have only misled the nation repeatedly through speeches and divided the nation. I urge everyone to free the nation from this propaganda and provide it with the right direction,” he said.

Prof Shamim further remarked, “In almost every murder that has taken place in Bangladesh, initially the blame is placed on a particular group or individual. After 15 or 20 years, we see that the real culprit was someone else. Why does this happen? One narrative after another is being created. An international conspiracy is underway to subjugate a nation.”

Mentionable, Prof Shamim is a professor of the Finance department of the university and assumed office as pro-VC on 23 September last year.

Prior to this, he served as the convener of the BNP-Jamaat backed teachers’ alliance “While Panel” of the university.