Chhatra Shibir’s publishing house withdraws controversial article on Liberation War

Chhatra Sangbad, a publication of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, Wednesday cordially regretted a controversial article on the liberation war and took down it from its online page and withdrew all the printed copies of December-2024 volume that contained the article.

“Chhatra Sangbad regrets publishing an unwarranted article that created controversy about the Liberation War, and removes this controversial article from online. At the same time, it is withdrawing all the printed copies of December-2024 volume,” Chhatra Sangbad announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, also shared this statement of Chhatra Sangbad on its verified Facebook page.

The article, “Juge Juge Swoirachar O Tader Korun Porinoti (The autocrats in different ages and their consequences)” said, “Many Muslims at that time got engaged in the Liberation War, which was their failure and shortsightedness.”

Chhatra Sangbad drew severe criticisms after this controversial statement on the Liberation War.

Interim government’s adviser Mahfuj Alam on Tuesday wrote in a Facebook post, “Pro-Bangladeshis must be pro-liberation war. But it is also true that many people who joined the Liberation War became fascists and lackeys. Today they were beaten by the student-people. Those who would go against the Liberation War, they were beaten in the past for going against the oppressed Bangladeshis, are bound to face defeat in the future as well.”

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), condemned the “disregard” to the history of Liberation War and called on the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir to apologise to the nation.

Withdrawing in the article, Chhatra Sangbad in their statement said they have the tradition of publishing articles by different writers on the Liberation War. The monthly magazine also publishes special editions marking Independence Day and Victory Day. In continuation of that, several articles were published in the December-2024 edition of the magazine. But several controversial and unwarranted sentences on the Liberation War were published in the article “Juge Juge Swoirachar O Tader Korun Porinoti (The autocrats in different ages and their consequences)” due to lack of awareness of the editors.

Chhatra Sangbad unequivocally announces that Chhatra Shibir is always respects the Liberation War, the statement added.