Desk Report

The Sector Commanders Forum will launch a protest programme unless action is taken regarding the alleged harassment of a freedom fighter at a conference, SCF's coordinator said Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammad Ali Aman was harassed and humiliated by Shibir activists, at a Jama'at-e-Islami backed conference of Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad on Friday, said SCF coordinator and former army chief Lt Gen (retd) Harun-Ur-Rashid at a press conference in Dhanmandi.
 
"Our whole nation has been demeaned and insulted as freedom fighter Ali Aman was humiliated. All freedom fighters will be united in a nationwide movement and will stage protests unless the offenders are arrested and taken to task immediately," he said.
 
The incident reportedly occurred at the conference, held at the Engineers Institution auditorium Friday, as Ali Aman, a veteran freedom fighter from Gopalpur in Tangail was speaking to a private TV channel demanding the trial of all who acted against freedom fighters, liberation and the cause of independence.
 
The so-called Shibir activists grabbed and detained Aman in a room and also held the TV reporter hostage for some time, SCF said at its Sunday press conference in protest of the incident, where Aman also spoke describing his ordeal.
 
"I didn't know that the Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad was a Jama'at backed organisation when I went there Friday to meet other freedom fighters gathered at the conference," Aman said.
 
"Some freedom fighters who were leaving told me that it was an 'improper' meeting, and people present there were demanding the trial of the sector commanders."
 
"An Ekushey TV anchor then approached me with a request to speak about the liberation war and the trial of war criminals," said the veteran freedom fighter.
 
"I agreed but then suddenly some people grabbed me, lifted me up and sort of whisked me away. They kept me for about three hours in a room there and harassed me for speaking against anti-liberation elements," he said.
 
Aman said a "Jama'at leader named Farid" arrived at last and told the persecutors to let the freedom fighter go.
 
SCF chairman AK Khandaker, who was second in command during the liberation war, said: "The war criminals, who under the banners of Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams were involved in the extermination of three million Bengalees in 1971, are now assembling under the banner of a national freedom fighters' conference."
 
"We demand that the government initiate a probe into the matter and punish the offenders immediately or we'll know for certain that they are taking the side with Jama'atis and other religious fanatics."
 
"We will launch a nationwide movement and stage protests if the matter is not handled honourably," Khandaker said.

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