Dhaka, Aug 7 Several students from Jahangirnagar University (JU) of Bangladesh organised a torchlight procession and burned effigies labelled 'Razakar' in protest against an exhibition organised by Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of radical Islamist Party Jamaat-e-Islami at Dhaka University (DU), which showcased photos of "anti-liberation Razakars, Al-Badr members, and war criminals" from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
The students held the procession under the banner of progressive students from the university's Bottola area in Dhaka, local media reported.
Condemning the exhibition at DU, speakers at the rally stated that the display of convicted war criminals' photos by Shibir is an "affront" to the spirit of the Liberation War.
"We have repeatedly witnessed the resurgence of Razakars in Bangladesh. Again and again, they try to put the Liberation War of 1971 against the July uprising of 2024. Jamaat and Shibir displayed the images of Razakars at Dhaka University because they view them as their leaders," Bangladesh’s leading newspaper Dhaka Tribune quoted Sohagi Samia, an organiser from the Socialist Student Front, as saying.
"We want to make it clear that those who wish to erase the existence of Bangladesh on behalf of the Razakars will themselves be erased. Every attempt to rehabilitate Razakars will be strongly resisted," she added.
During the protest, the students chanted slogans such as 'Jamaat-Shibir-Razakar, leave Bengal now', 'No place for war criminals in our country', 'Burn down the Razakars throne together'.
"We have seen how the Razakars, who clawed at the flag of Bangladesh during the Liberation War, were portrayed as heroes in photos displayed by Shibir at Dhaka University. Let us not forget, on March 25, it was with the help of Razakars that the Pakistani military carried out killings at DU. There can be nothing more disgraceful. We strongly condemn this act," said Russell, a student of the Bangla Department.
After assuming power last year, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus lifted the ban on Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, through a gazette notification. These radical forces earlier worked hand-in-glove with the student leaders and Yunus to overthrow the democratically-elected government of the Awami League led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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