Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury recalled as strong voice against injustice

Nagorik Oikya chief Mahmudur Rahman Manna addressing a discussion meeting on the second death anniversary of Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury on Tuesday.

The role of Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury as a strong voice against injustice was recalled and his services to the people since the war of liberation as a public health activist and a friend of the poor were eulogised at a discussion meeting in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The discussion meeting was organised by the Bangladesh Labour Party marking Dr. Chowdhury's first death anniversary at the Council for Child Welfare auditorium.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna who was the chief guest at the function said, I see Zafrullah Chowdhury as a public intellectual. An intellectual does not have to speak in keeping with the circumstances. They speak the truth regardless of what others think. This is the difference he had with a politician who speaks according to the situation.Manna termed Zafrullah chowdhury as a public intellectual per excellence. 

Referring to the biggest dialysis centre in Asia set up by Dr. Chowdhury and his services for good public health and education the Nagorik Oikya chief lamented that the quality of public health as well as education have gone down now. Lies can be treaded freely in Bangladesh. KNF has looted bank money and demonstrated that it has done what even Shanti Bahini could not do. Ransom has been paid to recover the hijacked bank manager as was in the case of freeing the hijacked ship MV Abdullah.

Manna called for the democratic forced to come back to the streets at the earliest. Politics will rule. What the AL general secretary says is not true but they are trying to pass it as history. Stop lieing, Manna said adding fascism never lasted.

He said that the people of Bangladesh believe India directly influenced our democracy. That's why the movement to boocott Indian goods. Stressing the need for a movement like those against quota system and for safety on roads, he urged democratic forced to take to the street again at the earliest.

Saiful Huq, GS, Biplabi Worker's Party who was a special guest at the meeting termed Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury as one of the rare geniuses ever born in Bangladesh.  His absence is most keenly felt now. Zafrullah Chowdhury used to speak for the people without fear or favour. It is sad that he was not given state honour. 

Saiful Huq said it's not unnatural for AL leaders not to know in which sector Ziaur Rahman fought the war of liberation because they were not with the war. They have dishonoured the war of liberation. They are writing history the way they please. When power will change hands most of this will be thrown to dustbin, he said. 

Referring to AL general secretary Obaidul Quader who has said they succeeded to form government overlooking western pressure as India was beside them, Saiful Huq said If any opposition leader had made such a statement he would have landed in jail. Our big neighbour is maintaining a client state to further their hegemony. The Bangladesh-India border is the most deadly in the world after the Israel-Gaza border. He posed a question as to why there was no protest even after the killing of a BGB man. The boycott of Indian goods is a symbolic protest against the support given to keep a particular party in power at the cost of democracy to sustain a client state, he said. Zafrullah chowdhury would have been the loudest voice at this juncture. We should protect our country and restore democracy, he added.

In his presidential address, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman Iran, chairman, Bangladesh Labour Party, pleaded for pursuing the case of Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury with the Nobel Committee for a prize that he deserved.

He said, India is on our three sides. We cannot change neighbour. But they don't believe in our independence. Our commander in chief of liberation war was not allowed to be present at the surrender of Pakistan occupation forces at Suhrawardy Udyan on 16 December, 1971. Bangladesh is deprived of the right on water of common rivers. We give them hilsa, they give us dead bodies, we give them jamdani saree, they give us phensidyl. The indomitable BDR has been finished in favour of a timid BGB force, he said.

Dr. Iran said, those who didn't see Zia in liberation war must have come from a collaborator family. We support boycott Indian goods as India supports one party against the aspirations of the people.

The function was also addressed by Kazi Abul Khair, SG, Bangladesh Muslim League, Rafiqul Islam Bablu, president, Bhasani, Anusari Parishad, Adv. Mohsin Rashid of Bangladesh Supreme Court, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, GreenWatch Dhaka, Shahiduddin Mahmud Swapan, GS, JSD, Farukh Hossain, member-secretary, Gono Odhikar Parishad,  Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, vp, Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, Firoz Md Liton, chairman, PNP, Syed Mohammad Milon, and Jahangir Alam Mintu, press adviser of Gonoshasthya Kendro. - GreenWatch News Desk