Those who are abusing Professor Zafar Iqbal, calling him New Razakar, calling him a bull and making many other jokes, have they read his entire writing? No, did not read. Definitely not read. They don’t really know whether his position is for or against the quota system. His stand clearly against the quota system can be seen in his writings and interviews during the 2018 quota movement. is online. You can see by searching. In today’s unfinished article, he also expressed his stand against the quota system.
He doesn’t look at Facebook like we do, he doesn’t read online all the time. You have seen in a video that the ‘quota activists’ of Dhaka University are chanting slogans: ‘Tumi Ke Ami Ke/Rajakar Razakar.’ This slogan was given around Jasimuddin Hall that night, it is true. Whichever side. It is not known who gave it. However, various video footages prove that the actual anti-quota movement of students had slogans like: ‘Tumi ke ami k/Rajakar Razakar/Ke kaye ke kaye/Voirachar vairochar.’
Zafar Iqbal must have heard the slogan in a video, where slogans were being given, ‘Tumi ke ami ke/ Razakar Razakar.’ As the son of a martyr during the liberation war, he must have been shocked to hear this slogan in the mouth of someone of the present generation. He has been and expressed his opinion. He wrote, “Dhaka University is my university, my favorite university. But I think I will never want to go to this university again. If you look at the students, you will think that they are the ones. And as long as I live, I don’t want to see the face of any Razakar. There is only one life. Why should I see Razakars again in that life?’
Some say that Zafar Iqbal did not understand the satire of the protesting students, could not catch the satire. To those who say this, it cannot be satire to claim to be a murderer, it cannot be satire to claim to be a murderer, it cannot be satire to claim to be a mass murderer. There are more languages, more words to express anger or contempt. That language can be enforced. In this country standing on the blood of millions of martyrs, under no circumstances can anyone claim to be Razakar, Albadar or Al-Shams. Doing so will be an insult to the freedom fighters and millions of martyrs.
What is Zafar Iqbal’s statement about the quota system? His statement is very clear. He clearly said, “The existing quota system is not logical and transparent in any way. Many countries in the world have quotas. But it must be reasonable and consistent. I am not in favor of quotas at all. As far as I heard the number of quota is more than Merit. How about it! It doesn’t make sense at all, not at all. Besides, the quota system has created an opportunity to disrespect the liberation war, which is not acceptable in any way. I am not in favor of quotas at all. A quota can be used once. Four/five times usage is not fair at all. It needs to end.”
We do not judge. I don’t look past any words. Do not try to understand the context of any words. Zafar Iqbal has written the article today, we have not gone into the depth of it. By not going, we are insulting, disrespecting, abusing him; I have made him a new Razakar, I have made him an enemy of the people. Ever the bigots, reactionaries and war criminals derided him as ‘Bull’, today the so-called progressives are also calling him ‘Bull’. What a cruel irony of time! Alas our conscience! Our conscience sank into an abyss of darkness!
I personally clarified my position on the quota system question in a post this morning. The link of that article is given in the comment box. In short, let me just say that keeping the quota of freedom fighters at thirty percent is incompatible for a free and democratic state. Under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the freedom fighters not only fought for their wives and children but also for their families. He fought for the liberation of all the people of this country, for the formation of a non-discrimination state. The freedom fighters gave their lives for the democratic rights of all the people of this country.
So logically the beneficiaries of their great contribution are not only their families but the entire people of this country. All the people of this country are the families of the freedom fighters, the relatives of the freedom fighters; Except for those who are anti-independence and their heirs and followers, who have not yet apologized to the nation for their and their forefathers’ misdeeds in the war of liberation.
The current generation of liberation war and freedom fighters were confronted with the issue of quota. Six people lost their lives today. This loss of life is brutal, painful. And not only on one side, but on both sides of the conflict, people have been injured, damaged. There was no need to take this issue to the level of conflict and loss of life. A minor issue is complicated. It is the failure of politics, the failure of the ruling party.
For the sake of the ideals of the liberation war, for the sake of honoring the freedom fighters and for the sake of a non-discriminatory state, a logical reform of the quota system is urgently required. Otherwise, there will be a negative attitude towards the liberation war and the freedom fighters among a large population. They will consider the liberation war meaningless. An attitude of denying the contribution of the freedom fighters will be created in them. It is by no means desirable, cannot be desirable.
