Shahriar Kabir transformed into Dhrubo Tara or cynosure!

By Shiraj Uddin Shopon

New York City, NY, USA

 

Readers of this web-based forum are well aware that Bangladesh?s renowned minority rights and pro-liberation activist Shahriar Kabir fell under the wrath of the fundamentalist Jamaat-i-Islami a long time ago. He is paying for his support and activism for the Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committe, which was formed to press the demand for the trial of the killers of 1971. While he was the editor of weekly Bichitra, he wrote many articles against the evil deeds of Jamaat and their patrons. He showed his courage in writing against Jamaat while he was an editor of a government weekly magazine too. However, sad as it may sound, he was not able to sustain his work against the Jamaati killers. The BNP came to power with the support of the Jamaat in 1991. The Neo Muslim League government of BNP fired salvo at him. He was removed from his job as the editor of Bichitra. His only crime was that he worked with Jahanara Imam for the trial of the 1971 killers. Nevertheless, Shahriar Kabir did not keep quiet against the vile axis of Jamaat and BNP. He did not bow down to the pressure of the razakar-al-Badar axis in Bangladesh. He stayed on the policy of his demand for the trial of the war criminals. In fact, the Jamaat and BNP warned before the election of October 1, 2001, to punish him severely once they get back to power in Bangladesh.

 

Readers may recall that under the blueprint of the trio Latif-Shahab-Syed, the vile razakar axis has returned to power with full strength of Jamaat-i-Islami. The war criminals of Jamaat have become powerful ministers and close partners of Madam Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Razakar par excellence Motiur Rahman Nizami and ex-al-Badar chief Maulana Mujahid are constantly exploiting the government power to torture all - who knows the criminal records of killing people and intellectuals by al-Shams, al-Badar gang. This is why the razakar government of Nizami-Khaleda is torturing the renowned journalists and intellectuals. The torture on Shahriar Kabir was high in the aftermath of his recent arrest. He was detained with criminals, moved from prison to prison, denied giving even food and water, and forced to drink water from the bathroom. He was left in a small room in cold December and January nights. The mosquitoes sucked his blood at nights because he was not given a simple mosquito net. The condition of Prof. Muntasir Mamun was not a whole lot better. However, Shahriar Kabir paid too much price for his bold writings against the vile groups such as razakars, al-Badars, and al-Shams. Much kudos to him for his defiant role against the fascist razakar and killer government of Nizami-Khaleda.

 

This great journalist and freedom fighter finally came out of the torture cell of razakars. He went straight to the Shaheed Minar in Chittagong city and characteristically gave a bold speech against the repressive regime of the killer Nizami-Mujahid dominated government. Readers may want to know that he described the condition of the country under razakari system as no better than a jail. He said he has come out of a small jail to a larger jail - which is now the whole Bangladesh. The allusion was made that under the hands of the razakar government, Bangladesh has become indeed a big jail. In fact, he has come out of a small torture cell into a big torture cell. Bangladesh has become a big torture cell where free speech, demand for trial of the killers and criticism of the razakari system is forbidden by the government through torture and intimidation. It is appropriate to remind the readers at this critical juncture about the recent indemnity ordinance that has given impunity to the army killers by the Nizami-Khaleda government. Some of the diehard cadres of the razakar government such as MAC is haunting for a critical observer like me. I bet that if I were in Bangladesh, he would have led a cadre operation against me for my pieces against the razakari torture on Shahriar Kabir or Muntasir Mamun. He would have put me in custody under whatever is left of operation clean heart. His sweeper-class language reveals only his razakari-al-badari mindset. He has accused an innocent editor of NFB for my columns in reader's opinion of NFB. I have read his low-class language in e-mail from the victim of his disinformation campaign. To be honest with you, the situation in Bangladesh is no different from what it was during the 9-month period in 1971. Every unarmed Muslim League or Jamaat-i-Islami member was a terror in 1971. Someone could have been threatened and sent to the cantonment for a bit criticism of the Pakistani brutalities. The situation is almost the same now. Myopic supporters of the razakar government like MAC have become the unarmed cadres. We are lucky to be here in the US. The ?cardiac arrest? for which Bangladesh has earned a big name as "Borbor Jaati" will not reach here in this country of freedom now forever. In an odd razakari system, Shahriar Kabir and other brave fellows are keeping their head and moral strength high and upright. Dear expatriate Bangladeshis, do not maintain silence; be supportive of the moral and strengths of a freedom fighter such as Shahriar Kabir. We also cannot afford to lose him. Because, we cannot have any more Shariar Kabir from Zia generation. It takes a lot of guts to have leaders such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Shahriar Kabir in a country that produced Fifth Columnists such as Nurul Amin, Monem Khan, Kh. Mustaque Ahmed, and many more whose name would feel this web page.

Shahriar Kabir is like a star that we call in Bengali a Dhrubo Tara. He is a shining example of what a upright person ought to be. He already paid very dearly for his moral stance. We have to watch very carefully what lies ahead for him and other fearless Bangladeshis. The evil gang of Khaleda-Nizami would practise what they believe in, that is, torturing the opponents. Through these acts of violence, the Khaleda-Nizami government is revealing their rage and hate for anything that is decent. I urge readers to write more in unequivocal language the tyranny of this pseudo democratic government. Is there any way to reform this vile politicians?

 

 

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