Do you think Pakistan forced us to the war? What do you think about Oli Ahmed's statement in his doctoral thesis that the skirmishes during March 25-April 17 was controlled by a military leadership?
"In my judgement, such claims are only made by people who want to glorify themselves. There is no truth in that statement. If the army thinks they are going to start a war inside the country it becomes a revolt, a defection not Liberation War. It would also be wrong if they say there was no role of politicians or the people in it. The country marched towards the Independence War gradually because people's democratic rights were denied.
"Many, nowadays, try to glorify the role of Ziaur Rahman to match the stature of Sheikh Mujib and it has truly no legal validity. Even though many want to say that he delivered the speech on radio in Chittagong but what happened earlier--the events of several days after March 7, the Pakistan army's threat on Mujib and his arrest? Did te Pakistan army fight with the Bangladesh army or the Awami League workers or people? Who barricaded the roads, army or the people?
"And who delivered the historic March 7 speech at Suhrawardy Uddyan? Was it Zia or Mujib? It is mean-minded to portray Zia this way. I do not deny that Zia has a contribution. Sheikh Mujib has contribution, Zia also has contribution. So, we should give the respect Sheikh Mujib deserves, and also what Zia deserves."
What do they deserve? Many say Mujib proclaimed it, many say Zia while many say Zia's proclamation as an army officer gave people courage while many say it was done earlier? How do you want to respect them?
"The Awami League thinks Sheikh Mujib is the father of the nation as he won the Liberation War, and I also believe this. He should be respected for his role in earning the independence. I do not have any objection to term him father of the nation."
"And what Ziaur Rahman had said played a role to strengthen it. Most of those who firstly defected and went to India are students, Awami League workers or elected MPs. They went there fearing the Pakistan army's wreath. It might have been possible for them to form a liberation army but that would have taken a long time. At that moment, when Major Zia expressed his keenness to join the Liberation War in his speech, all in Bangladesh army did a united defection and it gave courage to the students and politicians who left the country."
"It is true that there were many senior officers in the army including Major Shafiullah, General Osmani, Khaled Mosharraf, and then Major Zia. But if compared, Major Zia should be respected for his one-minute radio speech, which provided a supplementary force. People and the BNP will decided what to call him for this.�
Did army officer or jawans take part in the war willingly or were they forced to? Were the Bangalees in the army deprived?
"The Pakistani government committed a blunder which made the defection 100 percent. Otherwise, it might have been a fraction, like some people defecting at one time and others later at different stages. But Pakistan government asked Bangalees in the army, the EPR and the police, I mean military and paramilitary, to surrender saying they have been disbanded. A trained person with arms does not surrender to anybody on a radio announcement� it never happened in history. A detailed preparation was necessary to make it successful, which they did not have. They just made a radio announcement that all Bangladeshis have been disbanded and they should surrender their arms. So, those in the army and the EPR had to defect, and that is why the army defection and the EPI defection was 100 percent."
What would have happened if the announcement had not been done?
"If the Pakistan government had not done this announcement, maybe five percent would have defected at first, then 20, 30 or 50 percent would have defected. The rest 50 percent would have continued in their jobs. There would have been a question of doubt as to how many would take part in the Liberation War and how many would remain with Pakistan Army.
Did you have any contact with politicians during the Liberation War?
"When I was in Kolkata headquarters in the beginning, I came in contact with all--General Osmani, Khondoker Mushtaq, Tajuddin, Nazrul Islam, and many others. But I did not have very intimate contact with anyone except General Osmani because, you know, army personnel do not mix up with politicians much. They normally talk with other army persons."
Do you have any relation with Khondoker Mushtaq Ahmed?
"No."
Do you think the Liberation War ended very quickly? How do you see India's role, the fact that Pakistan Army surrendered before an Indian General?
"India would definitely utilise the opportunity when they got it. Announcement of Pakistan's disarming made it easy for Banglaees in the army and paramilitary to participate in the Liberation War and the war became strong. Military, paramilitary, politicians defected, and went to India and formed a government. Asked by that government, India started helping directly. However, it was a burden on India to support all the people, provide them with shelter, food and armours. India did not have the economy to bear the burden for a few years.
"Although India and Pakistan had several wars, no one came fully victorious in that sense. So, India was thinking to take the chance to have a victory on Pakistan. Although we take it as an independence war, India had plans from the very beginning that they would intervene directly, fight with the Pakistan Army and make them surrender before the Indian Army. India had a huge psychological gain that thousands of Pakistan Army members surrendered before them for the first time.
"But it would never happen that India wins over Pakistan if we were not in the war. It became easy for the Indian Army to enter Bangladesh as Bangladeshi people allowed to do so."
Why many Bangladeshis have a negative idea about India despite their assistance during the Liberation War? How do you evaluate the role of Bangabandhu in sending back the Indian Army?
"No matter how victorious India was over Pakistan Army, they could not win among Bangladeshis. We can thank everyone including India for helping us. But it does not mean that that country would sit in my country in the name of Liberation War. If that is taken for granted, it was not Liberation War.
"So, Sheikh Mujib had no option but taking the decision to send them back. If the Indian Army had not gone, they would have had to fight with Bangladeshi people."
Did you meet Bangabandhu anytime after the independence until August 15?
"No, I did not meet him. I never had any acquaintance with him. I gave him guard of honour when a state guest from Yugoslavia once visited Bangladesh and I met him again when he went to visit each unit at Dhaka Cantonment. But we had no conversation. He was there for five minutes and talked with army chief Shafiullah and deputy chief Ziaur Rahman."
What was your attitude towards India then?
"I thank India for its help until the Liberation War. But after the war, they worked against the people of Bangladesh. They took away all the armaments left by the Pakistan Army and machinery and equipment of different industries. They should not have done this. Besides, India printed the Bangladesh taka at that time and there were many duplicate prints. That harmed our economy a lot.
"In the 25-year treaty, there was a provision for regular consultation about foreign relations, which was not right for an independent country. India did not give Bangladesh anything other countries gave us, including trucks and buses. They never wanted to see Bangladesh becoming independent economically."