Political offenders of 1975 must be punished: CPB chief

The Communist Party of Bangladesh has demanded that 'classified documents' gathered by intelligence agencies on the Bangabandhu’s assassination in 1975 and the subsequent events be made public.

CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim also demanded that the 'political offenders' of that time be punished.

He termed Aug 15 'a day of betrayal and resistance' while speaking at a programme on Friday at Dhaka's Paltan.

"What happened on Aug 15 (in 1975) was not a criminal offence, it was a political offence. Lessons should be learned from that," he said.

In Aug 15, 1975, architect of Bangladesh's freedom Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with most of his family members, was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officers at his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka.

Addressing the government, Selim said, "Many domestic and foreign intelligence agencies declassify their secret documents after 30 years. I would like to ask you (the government) to make Aug 15-related documents public and try the political offenders of the time."

The Aug 15 resistance was yet to end despite executions of several killers of Bangabandhu, he said.

"After 1975, the country went in the wrong direction. The resistance will be successful only after the ideals of the Liberation War are reinstated in the country."

The Leftist leader said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and most of his family members were murdered in a bid to kill the 'ideals of the war of independence'.

Regarding post-Aug 15 events, he said the situation back then would have been different if Awami League leaders had not joined Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed's cabinet.

"But this was pre-planned."

Many people from the Awami League could not be found to join the protest against Bangabandhu's assassination, Selim said.

He said many were busy getting in touch with the then new government.