Liberation War Role Friends of Freedom Honoured

DHAKA NEWS

Expressing its deep debt of gratitude, the country yesterday honoured individuals and organisations from across the world for their wholehearted support to its liberation in 1971.

President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conferred the awards on the nation's foreign friends at a special ceremony at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

The state accolades -- “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour” and “Friends of Liberation War Honour” -- went to 75 individuals and six organisations. The awardees also included Mitra Bahini (allied forces) and the people of India.

Recalling the recipients' contributions to our independence war, the president said, “Their valuable inspiration and support gave us impetus for achieving victory.”

Hasina said, “They gave us all sorts of help available -- food, shelter, medicine, and even military training. Most importantly, they gave greater voice to our legitimate cause, facilitated our access to global media, mobilised public opinion and financial support.

“Their moral and logistics support had been a constant source of inspiration for our valiant freedom fighters.”

This was the second phase of presenting awards to foreign nationals and organisations.

Earlier on July 25 last year, “Bangladesh Freedom Honour” was posthumously conferred on former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.

At yesterday's ceremony, eight heads of state and government were awarded the “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour” and the others “Friends of Liberation War Honour.”

Of the eight, only Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav is alive. The others are Third King of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, former Soviet presidents Leonid IIyich Brezhnev and Nikolai Viktorovich Podgorny, ex-Soviet prime minister Alexei Nikolaevich Kosygin, former Yugoslav president Marshal Josip Broz Tito, ex-UK prime minister Sir Edward Richard George Heath and former Nepalese prime minister Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala.

The organisations that received awards are the BBC, Akashbani (All India Radio), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Oxfam and Kolkata University Shahayak Samiti.

The award consists of a gold-plated silver metallic plaque bearing a replica of the National Memorial and a citation on a silk cloth.

Bangalees received support from these foreign friends at a time when they stood up against genocide and other atrocities by the Pakistan occupation forces and their collaborators.

The nine-month war eventually led to the emergence of a sovereign Bangladesh.

The ceremony yesterday was a unique experience for many who travelled to Bangladesh for the first time to receive the awards on behalf of the recipients.

The awardees thanked the Bangladesh government for honouring them.

Hari Kumar Shrestha, Nepalese ambassador in Dhaka, was the first to receive the “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour” from Zillur Rahman on behalf of his country's President Dr Ram Baran Yadav.

Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji, chairman of the Royal Privy Council, took the award on behalf of Third King of Bhutan Jigme Dorjio Wangchuck.

Alexander A Nikolaev, Russian ambassador in Dhaka, received three awards on behalf of two former presidents and a prime minister.

Aleksandar Broz, son of former Yugoslavia president Marshal Tito, received the award on behalf of his father. The EHF trustee received the award for ex-British prime minister Edward Richard George Heath.

The son of former Nepalese prime minister Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala took the award for his father.

Pankaj Saran, the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, received the “Friends of Liberation War Honour” award for the people of India, while Indian State Minister for Defence MM Pallam Raju took the award as a Mitra Bahini representative.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma received the award for his late mother Rawshan Ara Begum Sangma.

Director General of All India Radio Leeladhar Mandloi received the award for Akashbani.

The ceremony started with the screening of a documentary on the foreign friends after the prime minister had reached the venue around 10:00am.

Cabinet Division Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan introduced the foreign friends to the audience and read out a citation describing their role during the Liberation War.

Lt Gen Jack Frederick Ralph Jacob of India gave a salute to the audience after receiving the award. He then chanted “Joy Bangla” and the audience reciprocated with an even louder chant.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, former British Labour MP Michael Barnes said they were greatly honoured at the Bangladesh government's invitation.

“We accept the honour. Long live Bangladesh. Joy Bangla.”

A list of 132 foreign friends was made but the government finally invited 110, of which, 83 have attended or sent representatives to receive the awards.

The government has so far prepared a list of 568 foreign friends from all over the world. They include 257 Indians, 88 Americans, 41 Pakistanis, 39 Britons, nine Russians, 18 Nepalese, 16 French and 18 Japanese.

At the function, the prime minister said the government would continue to honour foreign friends.

A foreign ministry source said lawmakers and leaders of most political parties, except Jamaat-e-Islami, were invited to the ceremony. No BNP leader was seen at the programme.

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain and Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Mujahedul Islam Selim, among others, attended the function

BNP Threatens Parliament Boycott

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 27 The opposition on Tuesday threatened to boycott parliament once again if the statements of the government leaders relating to ISI funding are not expunged from the parliament proceedings.

"We would like to draw the attention of the Speaker that the prime minister and other ruling party MPs made false statements in parliament that the BNP got fund from Pakistani ISI," opposition chief whip parliament Zainul Abdin Farroque said.

"Expunge those statements from the parliament proceedings, or we will not attend the House from next Thursday," he added.

The BNP leader issued the threat from a programme held in front of the National Press Club. A human chain was formed to protest the 'false statements over BNP getting ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) fund.'

The threat came only nine days after BNP MPs returned to parliament on Mar 18 following an absence of 77 consecutive business days on average. The parliament session is expected to resume Thursday after a short recess.

Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times ran a report on Mar 3 that former ISI chief Asad Durrani confessed before Pakistan Supreme Court that the Pakistan intelligence agency had given BNP money before the 1991 election. British newspaper Daily Mail's online version also ran a similar report.

After that the prime minister, ministers and ruling party MPs on many occasions bitterly criticised BNP quoting newspaper reports.

Later, Durrani and Pakistan foreign ministry refuted the news saying that no such statement was made before any court.

BNP had also dismissed the allegation saying confession made by former ISI chief did not include anything about the intelligence organisation funding the party.

Keep pro-Pakistan forces out of power: Prime minister Sheikh Hasina

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 27 Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the people not to bring those forces to power who favoured Pakistan during the Liberation War of 1971.

"Associates and collaborators of the defeated forces should not come to power anymore. We brought you independence. Only we'll ensure that you get its benefits," she told a discussion on Tuesday.

Ruling Awami League organised the programme in the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre as part of the the Independence Day celebrations.

Exhorting people to keep pro-liberation force in power for the sake of country's development, Hasina said: "There had been no development in the country when those collaborators, who received funds from the oppressing forces, were in power."

ICT Admits Alim Charges

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 27 The war crimes tribunal on Tuesday took cognisance of charges against former BNP MP Abdul Alim and extended his bail, ordering the prosecution to place the formal charges on Apr 24.

The International Crimes Tribunal, set up to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, ordered the prosecution to submit formal charges, witness testimonies and other documents to the registrar's office by Apr 1 for the defence to collect them by Apr 2.

The three-judge tribunal, headed by Justice M Nizamul Huq, heard an application for bail extension moved by Munshi Ahsan Kabir, lawyer for Alim, and eventually granted the prayer.

The defence counsel said Alim, a former member of the national assembly in 1971 and a Muslim League leader, had not violated the conditions of bail.

Kabir also said nothing had changed from the time when the court gave bail to his client except that Alim's health had deteriorated in the meantime.

When the court asked whether he had documents relating to it, Kabir supplied the court with copies of medical reports.

Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta said although the defence counsel mentioned his client's deteriorating health, the prescription said nothing in that regard.

Dasgupta also cited a number of examples from around the world in his bid to argue against bail extension. The prosecutor also pointed out that the accused was no ordinary person and had even served as a member of the cabinet of BNP founder and military strongman Ziaur Rahman.

He said the situation had changed with the court taking the charges into cognisance.

The tribunal had stopped midway in its order having taken cognisance of the charges because they constituted a 'prima facie' case and then asked the counsels to begin their arguments on the bail extension.

After Dasgupta's submissions, tribunal member A K M Zaheer Ahmed said, "Learned prosecutor, thank you! This is the first time that a prosecutor has come fully prepared."

The tribunal chairman, Justice Huq, stated in his order that it was clear Abdul Alim had not misused the privileges of his bail. "We are of the view that this crippled old man should not be taken into custody."

The order said the tribunal would ask Alim to be taken into custody if it deemed that necessary at a later stage.

The tribunal then ordered the former BNP MP to submit a medical report on Apr 24 when the prosecution would begin placing formal charges. The formal charge, witness testimonies and other documents would have to be submitted by Apr 1 for the defence to collect them by Apr 2.

97 BNP-Jamaat Activists Sued

DHAKA NEWS

Savar, Mar 27 Ninety-seven leaders and activists of the opposition BNP and its key allay Jamaat-e-Islami have been sued over Monday's clash between the activists of BNP and ruling Awami League near the National Memorial in Savar over placing wreaths.

Monsur Alam Madbar, Ashulia unit general secretary of Sramik (workers) League, an Awami League front, filed the case with the Ashulia Police Station on Tuesday, officer-in-charge Mostafa Kamal told .

According to the case details, the BNP activists led by Yarpur union council chairman Dewan Mainuddin Biplob attacked the Awami League leaders and activists with lethal weapons in front of the main entrance of National Memorial over who would be there first.

The clash left many ruling party men injured. The BNP men also vandalised vehicles and looted Nabinagar CNG filling station and a fast food and snacks shop there, according to the case statement.