'Who are you, who am I?—Rajakar, Rajakar! /Who said, who said?—tyranny, tyranny!

('???? ??, ??? ???—???????, ???????! /?? ?????, ?? ??????—?????????, ?????????! 'kanaksarwarNEWS)

What type of liar believes their own lies? Both pathological and compulsive liars may believe their own lies. This could be why pathological liars refuse to admit their lies or apologize for what they have said, as they believe them to be true in their minds. And Allah cursed those liars as He mentioned in the Quran, "Woe to every sinful liar." (45:7)

Bangladeshi history has been marred by misinformation and fabricated tales. The Muslim League initially sought to create a Muslim state following the reunification of East Bengal and West Bengal under the Bengal Presidency, just six years after the original partition of East and West. In 1947, the Muslim League succeeded in establishing Pakistan with two wings: the East Wing (now Bangladesh) and the West Wing (now Pakistan).

However, in 1971, a civil war erupted unexpectedly. In May of that year, under mounting pressure from the Youth Muslim League and Student League, the Muslim League leaders decided to support the military in the fight against India and the Mukti Bahini. To bolster their efforts, the Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan Army trained a militia known as the Razakars, who were predominantly from the Muslim "Bhadra Samaj." It's important to note that the Razakars were a voluntary force and did not rely on the Pakistan military's food allowance.

In August 1971, Lieutenant General Tikka Khan, the governor of East Pakistan, approved an ordinance for the establishment of a voluntary force to be trained and equipped by the Provincial Government. He falsely claimed that weapons were being sent from the USA, a claim that was later proven false, as no such shipment ever reached East Pakistan from the United States.

It's imperative to mention that my family connections have shaped my understanding of these events. My late father served as the "Peace Committee Standing Committee Chairman" during the 1971 war, and General Osmani was my blood relative. Additionally, my first cousin held the position of Al-Badr Commander.

Following the '71 war, many Razakars joined the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, and BDR, becoming the initial recruits for these military and paramilitary branches. Notably, despite the changes in leadership in Bangladesh, including the tenures of PM/President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, President Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, Khaled Mosharraf, President Ziaur Rahman, and President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, none of them initiated any trials for the Razakars. Instead, Razakars continued to serve under various administrations in Bangladesh.

Many people acknowledged that the Razakars were the most skilled fighters, even Indian generals agreed. They were the ones who brought stability to the country during the tumultuous period from 1972 to the 1980s. In the years between 1972 and 1975, four groups, including Gonobahini, Mujib Bahini, Qadir Bahini, and the Purbo Banglar Communist Party, engaged in constant conflict resembling gang wars. Amidst this chaos, the Razakars enforced control with an iron fist. Everyone was scared of Razakars, including the so-called “Muktijoddha.”

My educated guess is that almost all Razakars retired during the 1990s, and as of today, most of them died.