The Dhaka University Blue Panel, a pro-Liberation War and progressive teachers’ organisation, has condemned the alleged obstruction of the funeral and burial of freedom fighter Manik Pashari and opposition to the chanting of the “Joy Bangla” slogan at an artists’ gathering in Dhaka.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, the organisation said preventing the funeral and burial of a freedom fighter at night was “deeply tragic, humiliating and cruel.” The statement was signed by its acting convener, Professor Dr. Zeenat Huda.
The Blue Panel alleged that groups opposed to Bangladesh’s independence intimidated people and publicly announced through loudspeakers that they would obstruct Pashari’s funeral and burial. It said the incident had angered and humiliated people who believe in the country’s independence, while the alleged silence of the local administration had raised questions.
The organisation also condemned reports that women members of Pashari’s family were forced to dig his grave themselves, describing the incident as evidence of an attempt not only to humiliate freedom fighters but also to erase the history of Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
The statement further condemned an incident at an artists’ gathering in Dhaka where participants were allegedly prevented from chanting “Joy Bangla” and the slogan was described as “banned.”
According to the Blue Panel, such incidents form part of a broader campaign to distort, rewrite and control the history of the Liberation War. It cited attacks on indigenous and folk culture, defacement of a portrait of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the author of Bangladesh’s national anthem, vandalism of Liberation War monuments and the destruction of sites and artefacts associated with the country’s independence struggle.
The organisation said “Joy Bangla” was not merely a slogan but an enduring symbol of the Liberation War, the national identity of Bengalis and the victory of independent Bangladesh.
The Blue Panel called for exemplary punishment for those responsible for disrespecting the Liberation War and freedom fighters.
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