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Obstruction of a freedom fighter's final farewell and anti-politics of defeated forces of '71
The most respected and revered people in Bangladesh are our freedom fighters (Bir Muktijoddhas), who risked their lives to fight and win the independence of our homeland. The freedom fighters are our pride, our glory. The great Liberation War of 1971 is our greatest achievement. Those through whose hands this achievement came are our finest sons and daughters.
At the dawn of Bangladesh's birth, those whose names are written in letters of gold on the pages of history are our freedom fighters. Amidst the brutality and massacres committed by the Pakistani army and their domestic collaborators in 1971, our freedom fighters began the struggle for independence. Many of them had no training, no modern weapons. They had only hearts filled with courage and a dream of an independent country. Taking that courage as their only weapon, they plunged into the war.
These heroes must always be shown due respect and honour – during their lifetimes and even at their final farewells.
However, since 5 August 2024, we have observed an opportunistic faction attempting to compare the great Liberation War of 1971 with the uprising of 2024. A distorted mentality of trying to make the 2024 uprising appear greater than the Liberation War is visible among many.
A small, misguided group has vandalised various monuments of the Liberation War across the country and insulted freedom fighters in different places. Many freedom fighters have even been forced to wear garlands of shoes around their necks. Those who have done this have not insulted the Liberation War so much as they have called the 2024 uprising into question. Right from the beginning, BNP under the leadership of Tarique Rahman has strongly protested these anti-independence subversive activities. Tarique Rahman has stated: "Seventy-one comes first." Current leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that nothing can be compared to the Liberation War. The BNP has repeatedly urged people not to compare the uprising of 2024 with 1971.
Yet, despite this, the defeated forces of 1971 are conspiring anew to destroy the spirit of the Liberation War and are engaging in various subversive activities against it. A naked manifestation of this conspiracy was witnessed in Pirojpur.
In Pirojpur, the burial of Bir Muktijoddha Manik Pashari – one of the key witnesses in the crimes against humanity case against convicted war criminal and Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi – was obstructed. Eventually, following government intervention, he was buried under police guard 15 hours later. Pirojpur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Shariful Islam stated that the burial of Manik Pashari (87) took place around 2am on Saturday in Chitlia village of Shankarpasha Union under Pirojpur Sadar Upazila. Earlier, relatives alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami activists obstructed the state honours for the body and prevented burial in Pirojpur.
Later, with the assistance of the Pirojpur district police, the body was moved to the police lines. Around 5pm, after a Guard of Honor, the body was kept under special security.
Around 1am, with the help of the Sadar police station, relatives took Manik Pashari's body to his home in Chitlia village.
His burial was completed there around 2am by the police, in the presence of Manik Pashari's wife and children.
Manik Pashari's sister, Mst Rina Akhter, said, "My brother has passed away. First, we brought him to Pirojpur for burial. Then we fell into distress when we were unable to bury him."
On Saturday at around 12pm, when Manik Pashari's body was brought to the Pirojpur Sadar Upazila Parishad premises, his relatives faced obstruction from local Jamaat-e-Islami activists.
Faruk Hossain, son-in-law of Manik Pashari, said that after 5 August 2024, Manik Pashari had taken shelter with him in the Tungipara area of Gopalganj. He had been suffering from physical illness for two months and passed away at 10am on Saturday.
"Later, around 12pm, when he was brought to the Pirojpur Sadar Upazila Parishad auditorium for a Guard of Honor, obstruction was created. He is a gazetted freedom fighter. Later, the police secretly gave him a Guard of Honor inside the police lines and handed the body over to the family."
At that time, Pirojpur District Jamaat Assistant Secretary Abdur Razzak had said, "Manik Pashari is a fake freedom fighter; he will not be allowed a Guard of Honor under any circumstances. Manik Pashari's body will not be allowed to be buried on the soil of Pirojpur."
At that time, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists were also seen positioning themselves at various important locations in the city.
The question is: Who gave Jamaat the authority to judge whether Manik Pashari is a genuine freedom fighter? Why does Jamaat harbor so much animosity toward freedom fighters? How does a party that opposed the Liberation War in 1971, that formed the Razakar, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams forces against the Liberation War, get to issue certificates on who is a freedom fighter? Where do they find the audacity for such insolence?
People from various professions and classes have protested against this action by Jamaat. Quite a few organizations have demonstrated in protest.
Tasnim Jara, a physician and young politician, raised questions regarding the obstruction of the burial of freedom fighter Manik Pashari by local Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists in Pirojpur. In the wake of this incident, commenting on Jamaat, she said: "If they obstruct burials on their own doorsteps while in opposition, what will they do when all the power of the state is in their hands?"
Tasnim Jara's statement sounded like an echo of the thoughts of the people of Bangladesh. However, no statement regarding this matter has been received from top Jamaat leaders. Does Jamaat then support such heinous activities?
Remaining silent on this incident, did Jamaat not implicitly lend its silent support to anti-Islamic acts? Islam does not support obstructing a Muslim from being buried after death.
In our society, when someone passes away, no one needs to be called to dig a grave. Upon hearing the news, neighbors' sons come forward themselves with spades. Some bring bamboo, others mats. This is our tradition, culture, and custom. A person's final departure places them above flaws and faults. Everyone respects them and bids them a final farewell.
Political differences may exist; that is normal in democracy. But will the hostility not stop even after death? Must politics be played even over burying a human being? Respect for the dead, not obstructing their burial – these are the most fundamental lessons of our religion, culture, and humanity.
However, what was done to freedom fighter Manik Pashari after his death is unexpected, deplorable, and condemnable. The responsibility for this lies not only with Pirojpur Jamaat, but also with central Jamaat.
In our society, grave digging is usually done by men, particularly neighbors or relatives. The most heart-wrenching part is that this freedom fighter's grave had to be dug by his daughter and sister. Such a scene is rare in Bangladeshi society. One can only feel pity for those who created this situation.
A man who once risked his life for this country – his lifeless body lay there, yet no neighbors or relatives came forward for his funeral prayer (Janaza) and burial. What a strange repayment we gave to Manik Pashari!
The humiliation Manik Pashari faced on his final journey is deeply shameful. The picture of Bangladesh that we saw through the obstruction of a freedom fighter's burial is never desirable.
This incident indicates that a section of post-liberation generation leaders and activists are also carrying forward the legacy of their predecessors and are unrepentant about past mistakes. If Jamaat-e-Islami had truly reformed itself from its scandalous position in 1971, it could have participated in Manik Pashari's funeral prayer itself. But it failed to show that magnanimity. Instead, such behaviour brings the party's old wounds back to the surface, and in the end, the party harms itself.
The country was liberated in exchange for the blood of three million martyrs. We received our motherland, our sacred national flag. The defeated forces of '71 will never be able to erase our glorious history. Those who obstructed Manik Pashari's final journey have not only insulted a brave freedom fighter, they have insulted the great Liberation War. The people of the country have condemned this activity and shown that the people of this land are in favour of independence, in favour of the Liberation War. Politics cannot be practiced in this country by denying 1971.
Audite Karim is a writer and playwright. Email: [email protected]