A major altercation broke out between activists of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at the Shaheed Abdus Sattar auditorium of Pabna Government Edward College on Sunday during a discussion marking Martyred Intellectuals' Day.
The row was triggered when Mamun Al Hasan, Secretary of the college branch Chhatra Shibir, delivered a speech where he "respectfully remembered" the late Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami and Professor Golam Azam, describing them as "sun-born of this country" and "patriotic people" in the great War of Independence.
Chhatra Dal leaders and activists immediately protested the highly controversial remarks, which contradict the widely accepted history of the 1971 Liberation War where both Nizami and Golam Azam were convicted of war crimes. The Chhatra Dal group boycotted the event, leading to arguments and a commotion inside the auditorium.
Mahfuzur Rahman, Joint General Secretary of the college Chhatra Dal, strongly condemned the speech, demanding that Chhatra Shibir immediately withdraw the statement and apologize to the students. He alleged that the incident marks the "month of victory has begun with the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad" and warned of a "befitting reply" if such statements are repeated.
Mamun Al Hasan of Chhatra Shibir refuted the allegations, claiming Chhatra Dal's entire statement was a lie about Jamaat-Shibir and accused them of trying to "disrupt the program in a pre-planned manner." However, when pressed directly about calling Nizami and Golam Azam "sun children and patriots," he refused to comment.
