Bangladesh News

Freedom fighters and major political parties boycotted the presidential reception programme at Bangabhaban on Eid day to protest against invitation of the war criminals in Jamaat-e-Islami.

However, BNP leaders who were invited attended the reception hosted by President Iajuddin Ahmed and his wife Anwara Begum at the presidential palace.

The invited leaders of Awami League (AL), Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), and the Sector Commanders Forum refused to attend.

They also boycotted the Victory Day celebrations at the presidential palace citing the same reason.

“We had already said we would boycott any state event where war criminals are invited, regardless of the occasion, be it Eid or Victory Day,” said former army chief Lt Gen (retd) Harun-ar-Rashid, coordinator of Sector Commanders Forum, a group of Liberation War sector commanders.

Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Md Mojahid, Assistant Secretary General Md Kamaruzzaman and leader ATM Azharul Islam attended the function.

AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta told The Daily Star the central committee took the decision to boycott the reception.

“We expected that as a symbol of national unity, our president would not invite them [war criminals] and it is the people’s desire as well,” Suranjit said.

He added that they could not attend a function where the “defeated enemies” were also invited.

They also responded to the sector commanders’ call to boycott the function, he said.