Don’t want to disclose now why AL leaders didn’t protest after Bangabandhu’s killing: Amir Hossain Amu

Amir Hossain Amu, member of ruling Awami League’s advisory council, has said the plot to kill a leader who led the country to independence was not just another conspiracy. It was a master plan. There were international conspiracies and military personnel behind this.

He made these remarks while addressing a discussion ‘Bangbandhu Killing: Internal conspiracies and involvement of the US’ on Saturday. The Workers Party of Bangladesh organised the programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka to mark the National Mourning Day.

Amir Hossain Amu, the co-ordinator of Awami League-led 14-party alliance, said, “After Bangabandhu’s declaration of BAKSAL (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League), a five-member committee was formed with the local Awami League leaders in each district. Besides, a governor was appointed in every district. Arrangements were made to train these five leaders and governors from each district separately. The five leaders from each district were accompanied by some 500 party activists to Dhaka. The plotters of the killing were aware of this. That means (they ensured) so that no protest could held from any district.”

He also remarked that if there was protest from one district, the whole country would have revolted.

Amir Hossain Amu also said, “I still wonder why our leaders and activists couldn’t protest. I don’t want to disclose now what their dilemma was or what their thoughts were at the time.”

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president Hasanul Haque Inu also addressed the discussion. Mentioning that he couldn’t even imagine an incident like that after the liberation war, Hasanul Haque Inu said, “We were against Bangabandhu’s government after 1971. It is clear as day. But democracy was practised in parliament. A national election was held in 1973. There were many parties who participated in the election against Awami League and in and outside of parliament too. This killing was not an isolated incident at all.”

He commented that the 15 August killing was not only an attempt of a few undisciplined military personnel. Hasanul Haque Inu said, “It was not the killing of the person Bangabandhu, it was the revenge of razarkars and Al-Badr, the collaborators of Pakistani forces in 1971. It was a plot to make Bangladesh Pakistan once again.”

A written statement of Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, was read out at the discussion as he could not attend the programme in person after being diagnosed with the coronavirus infection.

In his statement, Rashed Khan Menon said, “The involvement of the US in the killing of Bangabandhu can be found in the book titled “Markin Dolile Mujib Hatyakanda” (Mujib’s Killing according to US Documents) by journalist Mizanur Rahman Khan. He mentioned in the book that Faruque Rahman, one of the killers of Bangabandhu, contacted the US embassy in the name of collecting arms. In 1974, a section of the Bangladesh Army led by Faruque Rahman and Rashid Haider wanted to know what would be the reaction of the US in case of an anti-government revolution.”

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US was involved in the killing of Bangabandhu, remarked Shahriar Kabir, president of the Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee.

He said, “Since the end of the Second World War, the CIA didn’t spare any of the leaders from the third world countries, especially those who were freedom-loving. Their involvement was quite normal. Lawrence Lifschultz, a journalist from the US, has made it clear in his book that the US was involved in the killing of Bangabandhu. It’s quite normal as they were against Bangladesh and supported Jamaat-e-Islami during the liberation war.”

Speaking at the discussion, Sohrab Hassan, joint editor of Prothom Alo, stressed on more research about the background of Bangabandhu killing and the role played by the politicians, writers, journalists and intellectuals at the time.

He said, “We also have to think why there were internal clashes between the then ruling Awami League and its associated organisations Jubo League and Chhatra League. Because, after the killing of Bangabandhu several AL leaders joined the anti-liberation forces.”

Fazle Hossain Badsha, secretary of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, said in his speech that there might be political disagreements among the parties of the 14-party alliance regarding the price hike of fuel oil. “However, the price of oil and the spirit of liberation war are not the same thing. We must implement the spirit of liberation war. The 14-party alliance must continue as an ideological alliance.”