People will give befitting reply to obfuscators

People will give a befitting reply to those who are trying to create a debate over the number of martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War, said Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman yesterday.

"Those who are raising questions over the matter are either unknowingly doing it or are knowingly trying to distort the Liberation War's history," he told a publication ceremony of a book at Bangla Academy in the capital organised by NRB Scholars Publishers. He said door-to-door surveys were not conducted at every home to count the six million people killed during the holocaust.

Prof Anisuzzaman and others, including Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, unveiled the book, "Americay Jahanara Imamer Shesh Dinguli", (the last days of Jahanara Imam in America), written by Dr Nuran Nabi and published by Somoy Prokashon. A writer and mother of a freedom fighter, Jahanara Imam was the first person to unite every power associated with the Liberation War by initiating the movement demanding punishment for war criminals and work towards realising of the spirit of liberation. Recalling Jahanara Imam's contributions, Prof Anisuzzaman said she had been suffering from cancer since 1984 but the deadly disease could not dampen her will to try war criminals.

Inu said Jahanara Imam's movement initiated the Liberation War's "second episode" and BNP, its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and Jamaat-e-Islami were acting against the country." NRB Commercial Bank Chairman Farasath Ali and former ambassador Anwarul Alam said Jahanara Imam was probably born to start the movement and that there would not be any trial without her.

Nabi has been dubbed "the brain" behind Tangail's freedom fighters. He co-invented Colgate Total Toothpaste and lives in New Jersey, USA.