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Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Union/Political Leader Assassinated Your support is needed!

Message from the ILC to the members of the Bangladesh Democratic Workers Party

The Truth and Justice for Iqbal Majumder International Committee

Message to the members of the Bangladesh Democratic Workers Party, to the members of the BJSF, and to all the workers and activists of Bangladesh


Dear Sisters and Brothers:

Please allow us, in the name of the International Liaison Committee for a Workers' International and all the affiliated organizations (as in the name of the French Workers Party), to share the enormous pain which you are feeling in the aftermath of the assassination of Brother Iqbal Majumder.

Iqbal Majumder was a well-known and respected political figure of the Bangladesh labor movement. During all the major moments of the class struggle in his country, in particular in the struggle against privatizations which threaten to liquidate the country's industrial base, he was alongside his trade union comrades on the front lines of the fightback. In the face of the enormous pressures in Bangladesh as throughout the world which are aimed at co-opting trade unions, Iqbal Majumder always responded by the need to preserve trade union independence.

Politically, Iqbal Majumder was one of the first militants in Bangladesh to understand that the crisis of decay of the labor movement -- especially since the collapse of the USSR -- placed on the political agenda the need to build independent workers' parties and a new international framework of organization. So it was normal for him to be among the founders of the Bangladesh Democratic Workers Party and to play an essential role in preserving it against the attempts to destabilize it. This is what led the recent congress of the Democratic Workers Party to re-elect him as national secretary.

Deeply internationalist, Iqbal Majumder was part of the international delegation, held at the initiative of the ILC, which went to the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington in February 1994. It was the first time that I met Iqbal. I remember him strongly accusing the IMF as being responsible for the destruction of the industrial fabric of Bangladesh.

For Iqbal, internationalism was in no way contradictory with his legitimate attachment to the national sovereignty of the Bangladeshi nation. Like all the activists of his generation, he had participated in the uprising of his people in the war which, in 1971, won his country's independence, at the cost of uncountable lives. Proud of the Bangladeshi culture and language, he had learned from his country's tragic history that the sovereignty of the nation had been won within the same movement which had nationalized the industrial base.

Having been invited to attend the recent congress of the Democratic Workers Party, I remember listening to Iqbal as he patiently and relentlessly explained how fighting back against privatization is the only way to defend the sovereignty of the nation.

Iqbal Majumder's internationalism brought him to join the ranks of the Fourth International. For him, it was clear that the emancipation of the Bangladeshi workers and nation were inseparable, that the emancipation of the workers and peoples throughout the world from the chains of exploitation and oppression can only be achieved by abolishing the system of private ownership of the means of production.

What is the identity of Iqbal Majumder's assassins? Who gave the order to assassinate him? At this instant, we do not know the answer to these questions. The Bangladesh Democratic Workers Party, together with all the labor and democratic organizations of the country, has called upon the government to immediately open an inquiry so that those guilty of this crime can be identified and duly punished.

The International Liaison Committee takes up this demand. It calls upon all the world's democratic and labor organizations to pay homage to the memory of the worker and revolutionary fighter, the Trotskyist activist Iqbal Majumder. It calls upon them to prepare to relay internationally the campaign which our comrades of the Democratic Workers Party are launching for the truth to be known and justice done.

In the name of all workers and democratic organizations and activists the world over, but also in my own personal name, as I was invited on two occasions to attend the conferences and congresses of the Bangladeshi comrades, I would like to send my fraternal greetings to all Iqbal Majumder's comrades in struggle, to his friends, to his family.

A special fraternal greeting to his two close comrades in struggle, Taffazul Hussain and Ripon Holque.

I salute your memory, Iqbal Majumder.

Daniel Gluckstein,
Coordinator,
International Liaison Committee
for a Workers' International

Bangladesh: We Hereby Constitute the "Truth and Justice for Iqbal Majumder" International Committee

On August 2, Iqbal Majumder, General Secretary of the National Federation of the Workers of Bangladesh was murdered.

On August 24, an International Rally took place in Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh) to honour his memory and demand that the truth be fully established and justice be done.

The meeting ended by calling for the creation of and International Committee to demand "Truth and Justice for Iqbal Majumder."

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TEXT OF COMMITTEE APPEAL

Recently we lost our comrade Iqbal Majumder.

Thursday, August 2, was a normal working day here in Bangladesh, but at the end, the day became a black day and a day of mourning when we learned the dastardly killing of comrade Iqbal Majumder. We have no words to express our sorrow. It is hard to believe that our comrade has left us.

His death is an irreparable loss to us. Today the labour movement of Bangladesh is marred with grief, sorrow and frustration. This grief is shared by all of us, including friendly organisations at home and abroad.

In the labour movement of Bangladesh, the name of Iqbal Majumder is widely known and respected. In the class struggle of this country he was always active. He played an important part when the industries and establishments were being privatised and closed, leaving the working class in utter distress. He was a front-line leader in the anti-privatisation movement. When the destructive process of adaptation of trade unions was started and when the independence of trade unions was threatened worldwide -- including in this country -- Iqbal was a fearless fighter to save the trade union and its independence.

He was one of the founder of the Democratic Workers Party. Later he was instrumental to save the new party when it was attacked from various corners. For his dedication and wisdom he was re-elected as the national secretary of the party in a recent congress.

When IMF became an instrument of destruction worldwide, inspired with the spirit of workers' internationalism, Iqbal Majumder joined the protest delegation organised by the International Liaison Committee (ILC) to the IMF headquarters in Washington.

In the case of Iqbal, his fight for the national independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh was never in conflict with his internationalism. He joined the freedom fighters during the 1971 liberation war along with many others of his generation. From the history of our struggle, Iqbal realised that as a result of our liberation struggle the industries, establishments and services of our country have been nationalised and the struggle to save those from being privatised is our political responsibility.

The inspiration of internationalism made Iqbal Majumder a front-liner in the Fourth International. It was clear to him that the struggle of the working class of Bangladesh is a part of the international working class struggle.

For the time being we don't know who killed Iqbal Majumder or who were the killers' leaders -- but along with the trade union movement and various political currents, the Democratic Workers Party is demanding from the Government a thorough investigation to apprehend the culprits.

Comrade Iqbal Majumder was a leader of the Democratic Workers Party; the Bangladesh Jatiyo Sramik Federation; the 11 Party Alliance; the Left Democratic Front; and the Jute & Textile Federation. His murder is a great loss to the progressive, democratic and labour movement of Bangladesh. As the guardian of the Constitution we want justice from the present care-taker government in the murder case of the great revolutionary leader. We don't know who are the killers but we are sure that killers are the enemy of the democratic movement -- the enemy of the progressive movements.

We want justice. We demand that the government uses all means to identify those responsible. To save democracy it is necessary to arrest the killers. As for us, we are going to form a "TRUTH AND JUSTICE FOR IQBAL MAJUMDER COMMITTEE" regrouping lawyers, intellectuals, retired judges and trade union leaders.

We appeal to all those who claim to defend democracy, all organisations and trade unions to support this Committee.

We need national and international support so that the action of the Committee can permit the truth to be established.

Dated Dhaka the 28th August 2001. »

Tafazzul Hussain, President, Democratic Workers Party, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Fazlul Hoque (Ripon), Secretary, Democratic Workers Party, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

WE ENDORSE AND SUPPORT THIS APPEAL

Bangladesh: Bimal Biswas. Secretary, Workers Party of Bangladesh; Mujahidul Islam Salim, Secretary, Communist Party of Bangladesh; Nurur Rahaman Salim, Communist Center, Bangladesh; Al-Haj. M.A. Samad, President, Gano Azadi League, Bangladesh; Nirmal Sen, Samajbadi Dal Bangladesh; Abdullah Sarkar, Socialist Party of Bangladesh; Dilip Barua, President Sammabadi Dal, Bangladesh; Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Secretary, Ganoforum, Bangladesh; Manzurul Agsan Khan, President, Communist Party of Bangladesh; AFM Mahbubul Hoque, Convenor, Bangladesh Socialist Party; Ahmedul Kabir, President, Democratic Party Bangladesh; Mahbub Haider Mohan, Secretary Krant, Dhaka Bangladesh; Sanzeed Hossain, Convenor, Revolutionary Youth Forum; Msud Rana. Revolutionary Youth committee; Miss. Shamim Ara, Women Committee DWP; Ms. Saleha Sattar, Women Committee DWP; Ms. Nargish Akhter Banu DWP; Ahmed Kabir, Trade Union Leader, Chittagong; Rafiquzzaman. Polit Burro Member, DWP; Delwar Hossain, Secretary Garment Workers Federation.

France : Daniel Gluckstein, International Liaison Committee, national secretary of the Workers Party - Olivier Doriane, Workers Party.

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INTERNATIONAL FUND IN SUPPORT OF IQBAL MAJUMDER'S FAMILY


The"Truth and Justice for Iqbal Majumder" International Committee has issued an appeal for an international fund in support of Iqbal's family. Iqbal leaves behind him a wife and three children under age.

The first installments to the Fund have been decided in Bangladesh by the Jute Workers Trade Union, which is giving the equivalent of two days of work for each member. The same decision has been taken by the Bakers Trade Union and by the Textile Workers Union.

Funds should be sent to:

Entente Internationale des Travailleurs
87, rue du Faubourg St. Denis
75010, Paris - France

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