Dr Mohammad Didare Alam Muhsin :
For the last few days, the main topic of both the social and mainstream media of the country had been the humiliation of a freedom fighter named Mr Abdul Hai Kanu.
According to various media reports, Mr. Abdul Hai Kanu, a valiant freedom fighter resident of Ludiara village of Batisa Union in Chouddagram of Comilla, was molested by some people on December 22 by putting a shoe necklace around his neck. At least two of them were Jamaat supporters. Jamaat-e-Islami denied any organizational involvement in the incident and expelled the two men from the organisation.
Abdul Hai Kanu fought in Moulvibazar region in 1971 as a platoon commander under No.4 Sector Commander CR Dutt. In recognition of his achievements in the liberation war, he was awarded the title of Bir Protik.
According to family sources, he could not stay in the area for a long time due to conflict with Awami League leader and former railway minister Mujibul Haque. He came home just a few days ago after the fall of the previous regime.
On the other hand, during the last 15 years of Awami rule, there are many allegations against him of torture and persecution of BNP and Jamaat workers and supporters. It is alleged that many were forced to leave their homes and even migrate abroad due to his torture.
According to various sources, those who were tortured by him for so long, the incident of that day was an expression of their long accumulated anger. According to police sources, there are at least 9 cases against him concerning murder, information technology, fighting and political issues.
Whatever the case may be, many did not take well to a freedom fighter being manhandled like this. It is being discussed and criticized on both online and offline platforms, even the Chief Advisor has made a statement about it.
The press wing of the interim government condemned the matter and the authorities concerned have been directed to take appropriate action. Jamaat-e-Islami not only expelled two of their supporters, but also condemned and protested the incident.
The local BNP took out a protest against the incident. Various organizations of the country have condemned the incident. According to them, there is a court of law if there is any complaint against anyone.
It is not acceptable to take the law into one’s own hands and abuse someone like this. As the victim was a freedom fighter and some of the perpetrators were Jamaat supporters, many tried to portray the incident as an attack by Jamaat supporters on a freedom fighter.
On the other hand, the other side has tried to present it as a mere personal conflict, bringing forward the aspect of the victim being a beneficiary of the fallen dictatorship and his torture of the opposition in the area.
They think that those who have been oppressed by him in the past have tried to get revenge on him today in response to the oppression that he has carried out in the area when his party was in power.
According to them, like other supporters of the fallen autocrat in the July mass upnsing, he fled the area for fear of public anger and is now trying to return and settle down. They think that in this incident not the freedom fighter Abdul Hai, but a dictator’s ally and oppressor Abdul Hai has been victimized.
Still there are points to argue. There are law courts in the country. If a man is a criminal he can be handed over to the law.
How can it be acceptable to abuse him like this? The argument to the contrary is that there have been isolated incidents across the country, since the fall of the dictatorship, in response to the country’s worst massacre in living memory during the July-August student and people’s uprising.
The police force and the leaders and activists of Awami League and its various organizations fled in the face of public anger. This incident is a continuation of that. Although calls are being made from all quarters to maintain peace and order, it is not unusual for more such incidents to occur in isolation. That’s why a continued effort has to be made to encourage people to be patient and maintain peace.
However, one thing is not taken well by the conscious circles of this country. After the sequence of events, it is clear that it is a personal/family conflict or an expression of public anger towards the allies of the fallen dictatorship, but a group is trying to create a nationwide uproar by putting a political color on it and portraying it as an insult to the freedom fighters.
The way in which the fallen autocracy undermined the traditional respect, dignity and appeal, of the common people, to the liberation war and freedom fighters by tagging everything with ‘freedom fighters vs. Razakars’ conflict’, it seems that they are determined to put the last nail in it.
It was not so long ago how the Razakar tagging of the fallen autocracy at one stage of the quota reform movement worked like gunpowder in the student movement, prompting them to chant slogans like ‘Tumi ke, Aami ke, Razakar, Razakar’.
It is not necessary to say that the liberation war is the best achievement of this nation, but there is a need to think whether it is at all wise to put the liberation war and freedom fighters as opponents everywhere indiscriminately.
(The writer is Professor of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University).
