Asif Nazrul: Bangladesh would not have been independent without Bangabandhu

Former interim government Law Adviser Prof. Dr. Asif Nazrul has said Bangladesh would not have achieved independence in 1971 if Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had not been born.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Asif Nazrul praised Bangabandhu’s role in Bangladesh’s independence and autonomy movements from 1948 to 1971, describing his contribution as “undeniable and unparalleled” and referring to him as the architect of the country’s independence.

However, Asif Nazrul criticised Bangabandhu’s post-independence rule, saying he was not an effective administrator. He said the difficult circumstances after independence did not justify what he described as Bangabandhu’s increasingly “authoritarian” rule after 1972.

He also criticised the famine, killings and introduction of one-party rule during Bangabandhu’s tenure.

Asif Nazrul further said Sheikh Hasina’s rule made it difficult for people like him to express their love for Bangabandhu. He accused Hasina of using Bangabandhu to impose her rule and claimed this turned Bangabandhu into an opponent of the July Mass Uprising.

He described this as Bangabandhu’s “second death.”

Recalling the August 15, 1975 assassination, Asif Nazrul said Bangabandhu and most members of his family were brutally killed that day. He also expressed his respect and love for Bangabandhu and said he prayed for him.

SKS