I did not call students Razakars: Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says that her comments on the quota movement were ‘distorted’ and that she did not call the protesters ‘Razakars’ but that some of the protesters used the term themselves in their slogans.

“They seem to have a particular grievance regarding the Liberation War and the families of freedom fighters,” she said. “They protested my remarks for several days, but what did I actually say? My words were distorted. But what slogan did they chant? ‘Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar. Your father, and my father – Razakar, Razakar.”

“This means they identified themselves as Razakars. I did not call them Razakars. They identified themselves to everyone as Razakars in their slogans.”

The premier’s remarks regarding the quota movement came during her visit to the BTV Building that was attacked, vandalised, and torched amid the violence during the protests.

At a press conference on Jul 14, Hasina said regarding the movement: “Before they started the quota movement, they should have looked at where they placed in the results. The second issue is, why are they so aggrieved by the Liberation War and freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of freedom fighters should not get [jobs], who should? The grandchildren of Razakars?”

“What crime have freedom fighters committed? They gambled their lives and left behind their families to take part in the Liberation War. They went without food, enduring the mud, the heat, the rain, the storms, everything, to free the country.”

The comments drew a significant response from students at Dhaka University and other universities across the country. They expressed their discontent by chanting slogans such as – ‘Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar. Who says it? Who says it? The dictatorial government’.

The protesters’ distortion of the 1971 Liberation War slogan ‘Who are you? Who am I? Bengali, Bengali’ drew criticism from many quarters. The following day, large-scale clashes broke out on the Dhaka University campus. Within two days, the violence had spread across the country. Dhaka and its nearby areas nearly devolved into chaos.

Amid the violence, there were attacks on BTV and other state agencies.

Hasina blamed the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami for the destruction.

“As before, BNP and Jamaat carried out arson attacks,” she said. “But this time is different… they used gunpowder.”

Referring to the vandalism of the metro rail, the BTV building and other structures, she said:

“Please help us find those who are involved, no matter what nook or cranny of the country they are in, and bring them to justice. That is my call to the people of this country.”

“I say to citizens and Dhaka residents – those who are responsible for this suffering and destruction, who are spoiling Bangladesh’s image abroad today – I leave to you the responsibility of bringing them to justice.”

Hasina said, “The people must be the ones to bring those who create obstacles to the livelihoods of the public to justice because the only power in the country is the power of the people.”

The premier also told people to stay alert and prevent the spread of false rumours.

“Do not allow them to stir unrest by spreading fake propaganda. Everyone must know the truth. They are still making calls from London, trying to ruin the country’s honour and stir up expatriates around the world.”