বাহাত্তরে কর্নেল জিয়াউদ্দিনের যে লেখা সেনাবাহিনীতে আলােড়ন তুলেছিল।

[এই লেখার পর সরকারের সর্বোচচ মহলের নির্দেশে লে. কর্নেল জিয়াউদ্দিনকে সেনাবাহিনী থেকে পদত্যাগ করতে হয়েছিল। সেনাবাহিনী ছাড়ার পর তিনি সিরাজ সিকদারের নেতৃত্বাধীন পূর্ববাংলা সর্বহারা পার্টিতে যােগ দেন।]

Hidden Prize

Lt. Col. Ziauddin

Today I wish to convey to the freedom fighters in particular and the people in general something, which I feel, is due to them and is being held back for very, very selfish motives by those in power. This independence has become an agony for the people of this country. Stand on the street and you see purposeless, spiritless, lifeless faces going through the machines of life. Generally after a liberation war the ‘new spirit’ carries the people through and the country builds itself out of nothing. For everyone life becomes a challenge, and they meet it fearlessly. In Bangladesh today the story is simply the other way round. The whole of Bangladesh is either begging or singing the sad songs or shouting without awareness. The whole country can be dissected into the various disjointed parts as follows:

The intellectuals are busy ‘hair splitting’.
Those who have read a little are engrossed in self-destructive criticism. They must have somebody to blame everyday, in the office or at home.
Those who have a little money are making the best out of what they can, but they, too, are feeling unsteady.
Those in adminstration are trying to run a redundant system that is holding back progress.’
Those in power have already compromised the national sovereignty and are busy guarding the nation’s prize.
The hungry and the poor are totally lost and begging charity. The so-called ‘friends of Bangladesh are showing sympathy and are ex-ploting them for a mean end.

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This country is on the verge of falling into the abyss. Everyone has to be united, infused with pride and made to move.’ Talking about pride, what has happened to our pride? Did we have it? Have we lost it or is it hidden? In these case, the nation’s pride remain hidden in `secret treaty. We had pride and we found it on 26th March. Those who are signatories to it must give it out to the people. The prize belong to them. Those who know of such a treaty must tell the people that there is such an act of “betrayal.’ If they do not do it, they are enemies of the people and the freedom fighters have a right to demand it. All outward manifestations of that treaty in any form are trying to guard what belongs to the people. They, too, are enemies of the people. If the Bangabandhu loves his people he must let the people know. Why should he be afraid? We fought without him and won, and now if need be, we will fight again, nothing can beat us. We can be destroyed but not defeated.

Weekly Holiday, 20 August 1972

Source: মুজিব বাহিনী থেকে গন বাহিনী ইতিহাসের পুনর্পাঠ – আলতাফ পারভেজ