Razakar

In Pakistan and India

Main article: Razakar (Pakistan), Police Qaumi Razakars, Razakars (Hyderabad)

Razakars were an East Pakistani paramilitary force that aided the Pakistan Army against the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Police Qaumi Razakars are a volunteer force in Pakistan which aids the Police in their duties.

In Hyderabad, Razakars were volunteers sponsored by the Nizam's state of Hyderabad for opposition to its merger with India.

In Bangladesh

In Bangladesh and in Bengali, the term "Razakar" refers to individuals who opposed the country's independence and collaborated with the Pakistani Army during the 1971 Liberation War. It is a pejorative term, often equated to "traitor" or the biblical figure of Judas Iscariot. The term originates from the East Pakistani paramilitary force, the Razakars.

However, during the premiership of Sheikh Hasina, the term "Razakar/Rajakar" was predominantly used by the Awami League and its supporters as a synonym for "traitor." It was used to describe individuals who supported Pakistan or opposed the India's foreign policies on Bangladesh.

In 2024, the term resurfaced when it was used against protesters opposing the quota system. During the broader July Revolution in July 2024, many of these protesters adopted "Razakar slogans" to counter the Hasina administration’s labeling of them as "Razakars".

References

References

1. "Archived copy".
2. "THE PUNJAB QAUMI RAZAKARS ORDINANCE, 1965".
3. (4 March 2014). "Failure to check corruption: Police mull razakar force abolition". The Dawn.
4. Moraes, Frank, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mumbai: Jaico. 2007, p.394
5. Mookherjee, Nayanika. (2009). "Traitors: Suspicion, Intimacy, and the Ethics of State-Building". University of Pennsylvania Press.
6. (2024-08-06). "Protests in Bangladesh: the reasons for the rage".
7. Ruma, Paul. (July 15, 2024). "Bangladesh students clash in job quota protests, at least 100 injured". Reuters.
8. (2024-07-14). "Thousands of quota protesters take to streets as campuses across the country come alive with slogans".