AK Khandker resigns from Sector Commanders’ Forum

Sector Commanders’ Forum Chairman AK Khandker has stood down the organisation of war veterans amid controversies surrounding his book on 1971 Liberation War.

The deputy commander of the War of Independence tendered a resignation letter citing his old age, Forum’s acting Secretary General Harun Habib told bdnews24.com on Wednesday evening.

Habib said, “We have received a letter from him. He cited his age for resigning from the post of Sector Commanders’ Forum chairman.”

The 84-year old has been subjected to bitter criticism since his book ‘1971: Bhetore Baire’ (1971: Inside out) was published on Sept 3.

Khandker, who was deputy chief of the ‘Mukti Bahini’, claimed Bangabandhu had finished his historic Mar 7 speech with ‘Joy Pakistan’ and that the political leadership of that time had no preparation for an armed struggle.

Several ruling MPs demanded sedition charges be brought against the former Awami League minister.

But the book that gave rise to these debates was not mentioned in the resignation letter, Habib said.

Khandker spearheaded the formation, with fellow Liberation War heroes, of the Sector Commanders Forum seven years ago to press for trials of suspected war criminals. He was the organisation’s founding chairman.

Amid the controversy, the Forum said it did not agree with the Liberation War hero’s comments in his book.

His resignation coincided with the Appellate Division’s revising of war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayedee’s death sentence to ‘imprisonment until death’.

It came a day ahead of the forum’s executive committee meeting on Friday.

“We are slated to take a decision about the chairman’s post,” Habib said, adding that Khandker might have resigned as he was aware of the topic of Friday’s meeting.

He clarified that the forum had decided its Friday meeting long before Wednesday.

Destiny Group’s Chairman former army chief Harunur Rashid was the organisation’s secretary general.

He quit the forum after landing in jail over allegations of irregularities in his multi-level marketing company.

Khandker, the first chief of Bangladesh Air Force, was made an ambassador during military ruler Ziaur Rahman’s regime.

He was later made the planning minister by another military dictator HM Ershad.

In 2008, he was elected as an Awami League MP from Pabna and was made the planning minister in Sheikh Hasina’s Cabinet.

Several Awami League leaders have demanded the banning the book but the BNP said it proved that various claims by the ruling party were baseless.

The decorated freedom fighter did not respond to the criticism and bowed out in silence amid controversy.