“who are you and who am I, Razakar Razakar”. This slogan was undoubtedly ironic from the ongoing quota reform movement protesting the Prime Minister’s speech. Although he did not directly address the agitators. Here is his speech directly from a newspaper in response to a journalist’s question:
“Sheikh Hasina said, my question is to the countrymen. So will Razakar’s grandchildren get jobs, freedom fighters won’t. What is the crime? He risked his life, threw away everything and participated in the liberation war. -The victory of this country by facing the storm.
This statement, hinted at but not directly, fueled the ongoing movement. Immediately after this speech, the talented students who had been deprived of jobs for years got angry and imported a new slogan in their procession: “who are you and who am I, Razakar Razakar”. It is as clear as day, who are you and who am I, Razakar Razakar’ is a slogan from a deep wound in the chest. Sourced. This is further made clear in the slogan, “Chaite Ganema Adhikari, Bhode Ganema Razakar”.
We all understood this, but not the dear younger brother of Humayun Ahmed’s famous writer in the history of Bangladesh, Dr. Zafar Iqbal. He went another degree of stupidity and said in a more haughty yet serious tone, “I don’t want to go to DU, the students will look like Razakar: Zafar Iqbal (Education Message, Update : July 16, 2024).
Now the agitating students got louder. But against that roar, the speech of the general secretary of the traditional party associated with the country’s great freedom shook the sky and air of Bengal like an explosive. I am quoting directly from a newspaper what he said:
“Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, Chhatra League is ready to respond to the insolent behavior that happened on the campus last Sunday night. (Prothom Alo, Published: 15 Jul 2024, 16:2)
This time, the 3rd army started fighting with the government forces. Abu Saeed, a student of English Department of Begum Rokeya University, was murdered in broad daylight in a shocking brutality. Since then, the procession of corpses has been getting bigger and bigger.
I am shocked to note how the long march of the country is stirring us, breaking our hearts, but young and old politicians as well as many so-called educated people of my acquaintances and strangers, some of the so-called human groups are silent like wooden puppets.
They magnified the arrogant ‘Razakar’ slogan in the mocking voice of ignorant students. He did not see the fair demand of innocent students ‘want quota reform’, want jobs based on merit.”
What a strange country!
O Lord, save us!!!
Scarborough, Canada
