‘Only Allah knows who did what in 1971 war’

The parliament yesterday passed the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026, retaining the names of the then Muslim League, Jamaat‑e‑Islami, and Nizam‑e‑Islam Party as local collaborators of the Pakistani invading force during the 1971 Liberation War.

Placing the bill before the House, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan stressed the need to preserve the ideals of the Liberation War and uphold its core goals of equality, human dignity, and social justice.

According to the document, “Bir Muktijoddha” refers to individuals who actively engaged in combat or underwent military training during the fight against Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators -- Razakar, Al‑Badr, Al‑Shams, the then Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami, Nezam-e-Islam, and “Shanti Committee” -- between March 26 and December 16, 1971, to achieve Bangladesh’s independence.

The category specifically mentions “Biranganas” -- women who suffered torture at the hands of the occupation forces and their collaborators -- as well as medical staff who served in field hospitals.

A newly added category, “Associates of the Liberation War”, will now officially include individuals who played organisational roles, built international public opinion, or provided diplomatic and psychological support.

Opposition Leader and Jamaat‑e‑Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman raised objections to the bill, while the National Citizen Party, a key partner of the Jamaat‑led 11‑party alliance, formally informed the Speaker that it had no objections.

The Jatiya Muktijoddha [National Freedom Fighter] Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was later passed by voice vote.

After being given the floor, Shafiqur said only the Almighty knows who played what role in the 1971 Liberation War. “Allah alone is the complete witness; the rest of us are partial witnesses,” he told the House.

“Our region has gained independence twice -- once in 1947 and then again after 23 years through the Liberation War. I pay respect to all those who fought bravely for the country and the nation during the great Liberation War,” he said.

Although the country was born with great hopes, those aspirations were not fulfilled by the rulers at the time, Shafiqur continued.

He said multi-party democracy was killed through the establishment of BAKSAL soon after independence.

“Following the political changeover of 1975, late president Ziaur Rahman  restored multi-party democracy. The nation benefited from it in subsequent periods, and today’s parliament is part of that continuity,” the Jamaat ameer said.

The Jamaat ameer said, “What is in this bill? It mentions the names of three organisations: the then Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Nezam-e-Islam Party. Alongside the Pakistan army and some ancillary forces, the names of these three political parties have been included, and the current proposal refers to these organisations.”

Reiterating his earlier point, he said his party wanted every political organisation in the country to operate with a sense of responsibility and compassion towards the people.

Saying they did not want divisions in the nation, he added, “In 1979, the Awami League itself was revived in Bangladesh through the Political Parties Revival Act. At that time, all political parties regained the opportunity and the right to engage in politics. We, too, regained that right then.”

Earlier in the special parliamentary committee’s report, members of Jamaat gave a note of dissent, stating, “If the ordinance is passed in its current form without bringing any changes, then existing political parties like the Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami and Nezame Islam will continue to exist as part of Pakistan, which is not logical.”

The note also said the ordinance requires changes in the definitions of “Bir Muktijoddha” and the “Liberation War”.

Jamaat further argued that during Khaleda Zia’s government in 2002, the law did not identify these parties as collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces.

“It was Sheikh Hasina, a distorted symbol of fascism, who incorporated it into the definition. The subsequent interim government maintained the provision with slight modifications.”