Pakistan army detained Piash Karim for supporting war, says law minister

Piash Karim, better known for his controversial remarks on TV talk shows, was detained by Pakistani army during the 1971 Liberation War for distributing fliers in support of the war, the law minister says.

Anisul Huq says the late BRAC University teacher's father, Comilla Awami League unit's founding member Advocate MA Karim went on to become the chairman of the local Peace Committee in order to get his son, a schoolboy at the time, released.

The remarks from Huq, son of renowned lawyer Sirajul Huq of Comilla, in favour of the man who drew considerable flak for his remarks against the Ganajagaran Mancha and over the International Crimes Tribunal, came on Sunday.

After his death on Oct 13, several student and cultural organisations had started protesting when his family announced to take his body to the Central Shaheed Minar for people to pay their respects.

Dhaka University authorities rejected their plea following the protests and Piash's family eventually backed down.

Apart from the organisations, several Awami League leaders also harshly criticised the late TV commentator for his stance against the Mancha and the war crimes tribunal.

Amidst the controversy that is continuing even after his burial on Friday, Anisul Huq shed light on Piash’s and his father's roles during the war while speaking with reporters at the Secretariat Sunday.

Huq said his father Sirajul Huq and MA Karim were friends and he had known the Karim family for a long time.

"MA Karim was a renowned lawyer in Comilla. He was the founder of the district Awami League unit. He was also a contender from the opposition alliance in the 1965 election."

The minister said during the 1971 war, Pakistani troops detained Piash, then 13-year-old boy, in front of his house for distributing leaflets in support of the war and kept him at the Circuit House.

"Pakistani army summoned MA Karim at the Circuit House. He had to sign a bond in order to get Piash Karim released. He was made the Peace Committee chairman two months before Bangladesh became independent," Huq said.

He added that Piash was also 'forced' to sign a bond before he was released.

Huq said he had seen MA Karim distributing identification cards to the freedom fighters after the war.

"He (MA Karim) was detained after Bangladesh's independence and released after at least 8-10 days. But that was not a general pardon."