Govts since ‘71 neglected the teachings of history: CEC

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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said governments since the country’s independence in 1971 neglected the teachings of history eventually leading to the changeover of 1/11.

“We write the most beautiful things about the worst persons who looted people’s money and sent those abroad. But nobody is held accountable,” said the CEC while speaking at the ninth reunion of alumni of History Department of Dhaka University (DU) at DU Teacher-Student Centre.

Dhaka University History Department Alumni Association organised the event with participation of over 700 former students.

“Country’s development was hampered by corruption. Therefore, I am not surprised at the present change,” said CEC Shamsul Huda, who obtained master’s degree in history from DU in 1964.

Quoting a sociologist, he said changes in civilisation take place through discontinuity with the past. The culture of politics and economics which has been dominant for long needs time to be changed, he said adding “That process is now underway.”

“We have many achievements like the language movement and the independence, but those successes have been paled by our misdeeds,” he said urging all to learn lessons from the past.

While speaking to the journalists after delivering the speech, the CEC said the government should not sit with political parties for holding dialogue until the commission completes its talks with BNP.

The dialogue between the EC and BNP is yet to begin due to internal problems of BNP, he said adding that the EC would first let the government know about the outcome of the dialogue between the commission and political parties.

When asked about the law adviser’s remarks on lifting the state of emergency partially before the city corporation elections, Shamsul Huda said if the government decides to do so, it will surely be very positive.

Speaker barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, also an alumnus of History Department of the university, reminded those present of the consequences of the deeds of former president General Ershad and Pakistani leaders including Ayub Khan and Iskander Mirza.

He said none of them could escape punishment and people’s wrath, as they ignored people’s will and the parliament.

“The history of Pakistan could have been different if the then Pakistani leaders acted according to the six-point demand placed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” Sircar said.

He said when bureaucrats come to power and forget history, bad things happen. The CEC should also remember it, he added.

Meanwhile, Sircar told the journalists that he is ready to work for strengthening unity of BNP, if the two factions of the party are willing to sit together.

Recalling the historic days of the language movement of 1952, movement veteran Abdul Matin said today’s intellectuals are forgetting the history.

He said the present government probably does not realise the intensity of the hardships the people are going through due to the unprecedented price hike of essentials.

“This issue must be addressed,” he said.

Alumni Association General Secretary Prof Ahmed Kamal said the DU history department has gained a lot from the nation.

“We should now prepare ourselves to pay back to the nation. We should create a link between the students of history and those who created history,” he said.

Regulatory Reforms Commission Chairman Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Alumni Association President Prof M Mofakkharul Islam, Ismail Hossain, Meher Afroz, Mosharraf Chowdhury, Habibur Rahman Khan, and Shamsul Alam Chowdhury, among others, spoke.

The daylong programme included raffle draw and cultural function in the afternoon.

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