06/10/2025
A Debt of Blood Must Be Paid with Minimal Recognition: An Urgent Appeal to Tarique Rahman to Compile a List of Neglected Activists
A H M Mazharul Azad Bulbul, Mymensingh Correspondent:
An intense moral demand has been raised to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to immediately compile a National List of its activists and their families who have suffered disappearances, murders, imprisonment, repression, and false cases over the last seventeen years under the relentless political onslaught of the Awami League government. The petitioners argue that the existing case information available with the government and records in the media are sufficient grounds for preparing this list quickly. According to the appeal, this list should not be considered merely 'aid' or 'assistance,' but rather the 'due right' of the persecuted soldiers. The party must restore its credibility at the grassroots level and inject new vitality into its politics through this initiative.
The core message from the activists is clear: if the party fails to grant recognition for their sacrifice and labour, the BNP will remain eternally indebted to them. The debt will become impossible to repay, particularly to those who might pass away carrying this sense of deprivation. Essentially, those targeted by the Awami League—whose families were ruined, businesses destroyed, who were forced to live in hiding night after night, or kept in 'Aynaghar' (secret detention centers)—are the true leaders and soldiers of the BNP. Ignoring these families would be a 'historic mistake' for the party, forcing it to bear the stigma of betrayal. Therefore, the appeal is to grant at least minimal recognition, as it is essential to honour the sacrifices of loyal workers, even if the party is currently run by opportunists.
Specifically, all persecuted activists in Mymensingh, like those across the nation, have raised this same strong demand. They fear that many dedicated long-time workers are dropping out of politics due to lack of proper recognition and respect. They argue that while the party focuses on creating opportunities for new members, the failure to secure the recognition and honour of those who endured inhuman repression over the past seventeen years will ultimately undermine the motivation for future sacrifice for the party.
The appeal emphasizes that there is no scope for compromise or exclusion in preparing this list—even every activist who had to attend court for at least one case, along with their affected families, must be included. The plea is directed sincerely and urgently to the Acting Chairman of the BNP, Tarique Rahman, to take this critical program into his own hands.
