Movement raided her house at Mirpur in Dhaka on March 29th,1971.But Sakhina’s survival instinct told her to hide behind the wall of her house. Her slender little legs were trembling out of fear…..yet she could not cry! She saw her journalist father Khondakar Abu Taleb being killed by the men of Abdul Qader Molla-nicknamed ‘Butcher Qader’.

Sakhina Khondakar,like lakhs of other children who witnessed the gory killings of their parents and relatives have grown up since 1971 while witnessing how ‘Butcher Qader’and other war criminals basked freely,enjoyed massive political powers and ran different political parties including the ultra-radical Jamaat -e-Islami in Bangladesh.

For the last 42 years,millions of Shakinas-eye witnesses to the genocide or first generation of Bangladesh Liberation War-and the second generation who heard about the butchering from others,waited for the hanging of Qader Molla and other‘Rajakars’and justice to be served but they have waited all these years in vain!!

Molla and the likes of him grew stronger politically with the help of their fanatic anti-Hindu clamour and ultra-Islamist propaganda directed against India. ‘Butcher Qader’was charged with killing at least 300 Mukti Yodha or freedom fighters during the Liberation War in Bangladesh,formerly East Pakistan.

Opposing such fanatic Muslim elements is like being strangulated to death. Meeraz Ahmed had opposed these elements and the result was as expected. He was found strangled under a flyover in Dhaka.Writing a blog against Muslim fundamentalists in Bangladesh meant death.So Rajib Haider,the blogger,was also murdered.

Bangladesh is now bleeding!!Chaos has engulfed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dreamland. Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sunamganj, Noakhali and Narsingdi are now boiling.

The current chaos originated soon after an international tribunal sentenced‘Butcher Qader’,assistant secretary general of Jamaat–e-Islami(JI),to life in prison.Demanding the demon’s hanging, the protesters thronged at Shahbag.The young generation demanded the banning of JI on February 21st,2013:the anniversary of‘Bhasha Andolon’or Movement for Bengali language launched in 1952.

FACT SHEET: 1947-2013 (Birth of a Nation and Subsequent Developments) 1.1947:India divided:West Pakistan and East Pakistan(now Bangladesh)was born 2.1947-1971:political troubles continue 3.1947:Immediately after Pakistan was born,frictions started between East and West Pakistan. 4.1952:Bhasha Andolon or Bengali Language Movement started 5.1956: A constitution was adopted making Pakistan an‘Islamic republic’ 6.1958:Military intervention began and martial law promulgated between 1958 and 1962,and again between 1969 and 1971 7.1970:Awami League won the general election,but was opposed by some in Pakistan.President Yahya Khan in definitely postponed the National Assembly session. Massive civil disobedience began in East Pakistan. 8.1971:East Pakistan revolted and entered into a war of liberation.JI opposed this liberation movement as it felt it went against Islamic principles to divide the Muslim nation.Bangladesh was formed and JI was banned. 9.1975:Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed,military coup d etat ensued 10.1975:New government formed and it allowed JI to enter into politics 11.1975-81:Gen.Ziaur Rahman’s era of power,era of martial law 12.1982-90:Gen.Ershad’s period:he assumes power in a coup 13.1991-96:Khaleda Zia’s period(Islamist party JI supports Khaleda’s BNP party,political instability marks Bangladesh) 14.1996-2001:Sheikh Hasina’s era 15.2001-06:Return of Khaleda Zia to power,rise of Islamists,political violence and instability continues. 16.2009:Hasina again became prime minister.Five former military officers,who had been convicted of assassinating Hasina’s father in 1975,were executed in January 2010, and a military tribunal to try war crimes cases from the 1971 war of independence was set up later that year. 17.2010-13:Political instability,massive violence continues.

JI,publicly opposing‘Mukti Yudha’or the liberation struggle for Bangladesh in 1971,collaborated with Rajakars and the Pakistani Army in killing freedom fighters.JI,Bangladesh’s leading conservative Islamic party,has a very strong radical grassroots base controlled by Bangladesh Islamic Chatra Shibir.

The latest uprising in Bangladesh against the Islamic fundamentalists has created a major flutter in the theatre of global politics.Why a massive popular upsurge against the fanatics after four long decades?The primary reason for this is because the‘liberal elements’in the otherwise Islamic society in Bangladesh had been shouting for the punishment of those who butchered the Mukti Yodhas or freedom fighters for the liberation of Bangladesh.Most of the protestors were very young when their near and dear ones were butchered,like Sakhnina.Since JI had been getting covert and overt support from political parties,nothing could be done against them,so far.But the young generation who could not forget the scar left through the witnessing of the killing of their friends and relatives suddenly woke up after the Jasmine Revolution in the Arab World.This was the turning point of the present uprising.

Naturally,when the International Crimes Tribunal was established in 2010,it got massive support from the‘liberal elements’and they suddenly took to the streets to have justice done against JI leaders who perpetrated atrocities against the people.

Yes!!Bangla is Bleeding!!!

Amlan Home Chowdhury