They don’t feel ashamed to call themselves Razakars: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday termed the slogan, “Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar”, chanted by the anti-quota protesters in the government jobs as “very regrettable” saying, “They don’t feel ashamed to call themselves Razakars.”

“They didn’t know how the Pakistani occupation forces and Razakar Bahini had resorted to torture in the country - they didn’t see the inhuman torture and bodies lying on the roads. So, they don’t feel ashamed to call themselves Razakar,” she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing the signing ceremony of Annual Performance Agreements (APAs) for the 2024-25 fiscal year at her office (PMO) in Dhaka.

“Our only target is to establish the spirit of the Liberation War. Hundreds of thousands of martyrs shed blood while hundreds of thousands of our mothers and sisters were raped. We won’t forget their contribution. We have to keep it in mind.”

The prime minister said her government had taken legal action against the war criminals, who were involved in mass killing, looting, violation of women, forming Razakar Bahini and Peace Committee and giving the Bahinis firearms.

“Many of them were hanged following the trials and thus the repressed people got justice,” she stated.

The prime minister further said it was most unfortunate to hear the slogan from the girls that they are “Razakars” despite the fact that the women were badly raped by the Razakars during the War of Liberation in 1971.

“I felt sorry when I heard yesterday the students of Ruqayyah Hall calling themselves razakars. Do they know what had taken place there on 25 March, 1971? Some 300 girls were killed and 40 girls were raped and taken to the Pakistani camps,” Sheikh Hasina said.

Referring to some gruesome incidents carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971, she said the female students didn’t see these oppressions on the streets in 1971.

“So, they don’t feel ashamed of calling themselves Razakars,” she added.

The prime minister said it is unfortunate that girls now chant such slogans.

“What country are we in? What spirit do they believe in? What lesson did they learn? What did they learn? It is my question,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina said the Liberation War is a matter of pride.

The people left their houses and fought for independence by risking their lives at a call of the Father of the Nation and achieved victory, she said.

Even, they who were in Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams Bahini unleashed inhuman torture on the people, she said, adding: “Don’t forget it.”

“We have to march ahead with the spirit of the Liberation War after taking lessons from it,” she said.

“They, who were in power for 21 years after assassination of the Father of the Nation on 15 August in 1975 and eight years afterwards, what could they give the country?”, she questioned.

“They weren’t able to give anything,” she said.

But, she said the pro-liberation force Awami League has changed the country with massive developments in the last 15 years after assuming power time and again.

“Bangladesh is now a changed country in the last 15 years. Bangladesh has reached a dignified position on the global stage,” she added.

The prime minister called upon all to play their parts to take the country ahead towards prosperity.

“Let’s take the country ahead. This Bangladesh will move ahead. We will move around the world keeping our heads high being a victorious nation through the Liberation War,” she said.

At the same function, the APA Award for FY 2022-23 and Integrity Award for FY 2023-24 were distributed among the government offices for excellent performance in APA implementation and rendering services respectively.

At the signing ceremony, Sheikh Hasina gave a set of directives to the government officials that include going tough against corruption, ensuring transparency and accountability, bringing dynamism to the administrative activities and implementing the APAs to build a just, developed and prosperous Bangladesh.

She also asked all concerned to take preparation for facing a prolonged flood and ordered them to promptly complete the pending development projects, through which people will get benefits, and new projects can be taken.

She also called for taking measures to contain the price hike of essentials and increasing food production by bringing every inch of arable land under cultivation.

“Be vigilant so that none can increase the price of essential commodities through conspiracy,” she said.

The prime minister asked all to take rapid actions in case of finding any irregularities and corruption in the administration as the government is pursuing “zero tolerance policy” against corruption.

“Take proper actions wherever any irregularity is found . . .We announced zero tolerance (policy) against corruption. I don’t believe that if we take action against corruption, the blame would be shifted to our government,” she said.

She remarked that only a few individuals commit corruption, but many people are blamed for it.

“This is why stern actions will be taken against those who get involved in corruption. I don’t care what blame would be given to the government,” she said.

The prime minister said they want to take steps to create scopes for the welfare of the country’s people by further rectifying society. “Now we’ve taken steps. No more corruption will be tolerated.”

She said the government wants to build a corruption-free society apart from paying attention to enhancing the quality and skills of the government officials.

She asked every ministry to enhance monitoring on its subordinate offices up to field-level offices to ensure good governance. “The top rung (of the administration) is very good. Some problems occur on the bottom rungs.”

The prime minister asked the government officials not to be nervous or worried, seeing anything in the newspapers.

“There is nothing for you to be nervous or embarrassed by seeing what is written in the newspapers. Rather, you should check if there is any authenticity of it (the news). If it has no authenticity, dump it straight to the dustbin and you don’t even need to read it,” she said.

Public administration minister Farhad Hossain spoke on the occasion, while cabinet secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain delivered the welcome speech.

Labour and employment secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain and Power Division senior secretary Md. Habibur Rahman expressed their feelings at the function.

The government introduced the result-oriented APA method in the public administration in the 2014-2015 fiscal to enhance institutional efficiency and ensure transparency, accountability and optimum utilisation of the resources.