BNP to make list of 1971 martyrs

BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan has said his party will prepare a “complete” list of the Liberation War martyrs in a bid to honour them properly.

“There are controversies and differences of opinions about the number of martyrs. The number can be 29 lakh, or 30 lakh or 31 lakh … why should we remain unsure about their numbers? It's important we prepare their complete list,” the BNP standing committee member said.

He was speaking at a programme organised to protest the filing of a sedition case against BNP chief Khaleda Zia for raising questions about the number of martyrs.

He said the nation "does not know" the names of those who had laid down their lives for this country.

“Martyrs' names will remain written in golden letters in Bangladesh's history. Why won't their families get the status of martyr's family? There was a move to make a list of their names after the Liberation War, and it should have been done at that time. If we return to power, we will complete this unfinished task,”

Nazrul said at the programme organised by Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal at BNP's Dhaka City office at Bhasani auditorium.

The issue of making a complete list of Liberation War martyrs was brought to the fore after Khaleda at a discussion on December 21 said, "There are controversies over how many freedom fighters were martyred in the Liberation War. There are also many books and documents on the controversies.”

Khaleda's remarks triggered huge criticism from the ruling party and pro-liberation forces, prompting BNP leaders to come up with counterarguments in defence of their chairperson.

A Supreme Court lawyer, Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi, recently filed the sedition case with a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's court, urging it to issue an arrest warrant against the BNP chief for her remarks about the number of martyrs.

Taking cognizance of the charge under sections 123 (A), 124 (A) and 505 of Bangladesh Penal Code, the court has asked Khaleda to appear before it on March 23.