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| Bangladesh |
| Shibir was reborn at DU mosque in 1977 |
| 2010-02-11 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat-e-Islami's student front which was called Islami Chhatra Sangha before Bangladesh's independence and which actively helped Pakistani occupation forces in 1971 to commit genocide and other war crimes, once again came under the spotlight with the latest brutal killing at Rajshahi University. Islami Chhatra Sangha was reborn on February 6, 1977, at a mosque in Dhaka as Islami Chhatra Shibir. It initially organised its activities mainly based around mosques from where they recruited people especially youths to expand their network. In a special publication of Shibir on the occasion of its silver jubilee, a former president of Shibir said, "Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir began its journey anew at the Central Jame Masjid [mosque] of Dhaka University." Shibir began acting with a long-term main objective to establish Islamic society countering secular spirit of the country. Besides mosques, Shibir simultaneously strengthened its organisation at educational institutions. Especially in the 1980s, Shibir was the centre of discussion for introducing its self-styled killing missions at Chittagong University. Shibir repeatedly came under the spotlight for killing their rivals and cutting their tendons, a unique style introduced by the Shibir unit of Chittagong University. The main aim of cutting tendons is to ensure that the victim would be crippled forever, if one survives after the cutting. After victory on December 16, 1971, the government's decision to ban four communal parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, resulted in the halt of Islami Chhatra Sangha operations. The banned parties including Jamaat were given the green light in politics during the rule of late president Ziaur Rahman after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. Jamaat entered open politics in the country and formed its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir, which is little different from the original name but in short both are known as ICS. Jamaat claims that Shibir is not their front organisation. But in Shibir's special publication former ameer of Jamaat Golam Azam said, "Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir are obviously followers of the same ideology." Shibir never mentions that the original name of their organisation was Islami Chhatra Sangha. However, Motiur Rahman Nizami, incumbent president of Jamaat-e-Islami, was president of central Islami Chhatra Sangha and incumbent Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid was the president of East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha in 1971. War records show Jamaat formed Razakar and Al-Badr forces to counter freedom fighters. Former secretary general of Jamaat Maulana Abul Kalam Mohammad Yousuf established Razakar. Al Badr included the Islami Chhatra Sangha members. Anticipating defeat, the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators--Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams (led by mostly leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Sangha)--picked up leading Bengali intellectuals and professionals on December 14, 1971, and killed them en masse to crippling the nation intellectually. In 1971, Mojahid directed his party workers to build Al-Badr to resist freedom fighters, according to a "Fortnightly Secret Report on the Situation in East Pakistan". In line with an official procedure, the then East Pakistan home ministry regularly dispatched the report to General Yahya Khan, the head of government. At a rally to mark what was then known as Badr Day on November 7, 1971, Mojahid came up with a four-point programme to "wipe Hindustan off the face of the earth". "Move forward with your head held high and with the Quran in heart to materialise the programme. If necessary we will march up to New Delhi and fly the flag of greater Pakistan," he told the 1971 rally. |
| Posted by:Fred |