The killing of a veteran and widely respected senior Awami League leader in Khulna on August 25 has once again revealed the real political character of the 4-party Alliance and its Government. The BNP-Jamat Government, which has already gained notoriety for pursuing its policy of political vengeance and is responsible for innumerable rapes, abductions, political killings and communal persecutions, has been active in continuing its heinous mission.

Advocate Monjurul Imam, a member of the central Advisory Council of Awami League and the President of Khulna City Awami League, was killed in a spray of bullets and bomb blasts at Khulna on August 25 in broad daylight when he was going to the Court in a rickshaw. The rickshaw puller also died instantly & Advocate Bijon Bihari Mondal accompanying him was also shot and died afterwards.

The tragic incident ignited the fire of anguish of the local people. Thousands took to the streets and gathered to mourn the death. The spontaneous outbursts of people and protests against this barbarous incident is a testimony to the people's hatred of the Alliance Government.

As a protest against this killing a day-long nation wide hartal (General Strike) was observed on 28th August, 2003. Strangely enough, the Government has hastily managed to find a claimant for this heinous murder. It has been circulated that Purbo Banglar Communist Party (Jonojuddha) has claimed responsibility for this. Unbelievable as it is, the Alliance Government has tried to shift the blame and find a scapegoat to befool the people. Not content with this, the Information Minister Tariqul Islam has gone a degree further and has manoeuvered to implicate Awami League leaders by spreading the fabricated story in the state-owned TV, BSS and various newspapers that the sons of the deceased has suggested involvement of the Awami League leaders in the killing. This is nothing but a strategy to mislead the people and divert their attention. The report has already been denied by the sons of Manjurul Imam.

The Daily Star in its issue on August 26 under caption "Spiraling political killing" reported that political killings have risen sharply across the country. In the first six months of the year 195 people were killed and 2,675 injured in attacks on political activists according to a report by Odhikar, a coalition of human rights organizations. They have given an account of the victims belonging to the Awami League who were killed only in the month of August, such as, Akhter Hussain (Sripur, Pabna) on August 22, Abdul Kadir (Fatullah, Narayangonj) on August 15, Muslem Uddin, Chittagong University student (Raozan, Chittagong) on August 15, Jalal Uddin Sarker (president, Kapasia Jubo League) on August 17, Matiur Rahman (V.P. Parchokroshi Union, Sirajgonj) on August 6.

These are but fragments of the long list of Awami League activists and leaders killed during the rule of the BNP-Jamat Alliance Government. The list runs into thousands and the killing-spree has been going on unabated.

After the killing of Advocate Manjurul Islam another important leader of Awami League, Sharif Mozammel Huq, General Secretary of Dhaka City Ward 90 was killed in quick succession by BNP armed cadres in front of Gulistan Cinema Hall on August 26.
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in her statement on August 27 strongly condemned and protested against these killings and stated that BNP-Jamat Government with a view to rooting out the Awami League, has been systematically killing the popular leaders of the party in a pre-planned way one after another throughout the country. She also alleged that popular, organizationally capable and brave leaders who are future possible candidates for election, are being targeted at the behest of Khaleda Zia.

She stated that on the one hand the Awami League leaders and activists are victims in the hands of armed cadres engaged by BNP-Jamat; and on the other, they are being subjected to harassment by a partisan civil administration with false cases and other coercive measures.

She also stated that the case of Manjurul Imam is being deliberately misdirected. A false, politically motivated and misleading news has been broadcast in state controlled T.V. to implicate popular leaders of Awami League, Talulkder Abdul Khaleq and Mustafa Rashidi Shuja. The alleged comments of the deceased's son quoted by government publicity media are mere fabrications and totally false. This is nothing new for this regime; they have similarly tried to derail the case of murder of Ex-MP Momtaz Uddin of Natore. Bypassing the real culprits, the future probable candidate of Awami League has been charge-sheeted as the principal accused in that case. In this way opponents and foes of freedom have been killing popular, capable, and honest leaders of Awami League throughout the country and trying to protect the real culprits by shifting responsibility on Awami League leaders.

Md. Abdul Jalil, General Secretary of Awami League, in a statement said that since the take-over of Government by BNP-Jamat Alliance, Bangladesh is actually floating on the river of blood arising out of their political killings and vengeance: This Government has released 54 thousand terrorists involved in criminal cases and thus unleashed a reign of crime and terror. Bangladesh has become a valley of death in the hands of 70 godfathers of Khaleda. So far, 26,196 Awami League leaders have been killed, 120344 have been wounded and 11,000 women have become victims of rape & torture Further, 1,20,122 families belonging to minority communities have been made targets of oppression as they are alleged to be supporters of Awami League.

Protests and condemnation inside the country and abroad against this barbarous and inhuman treatment have failed to stop this BNP-Jamat Alliance’s orgy of killings, rape and political vengeance. Almost everyday Awami League supporters are falling victims to the BNP-Jamat killers in one or other part of the country. Attempt on the life of ex-whip Mujibul Haq at Comilla, murders of Ex-MP Momtaz Uddin at Natore, Advocate Manjurul Imam at Khulna and Sharif Mozamel Haq at Dhaka, all point to the fact that keeping in mind the future election, a blue print to kill Awami League leaders worked out by the " Special Bhavan" (House) at the behest of the highest decision makers of the Government is being systematically executed.


Vol. 2. No. XI. August 29, 2003
Bangladesh Awami League Publication