Bangladeshis Want to Fight Against US in Iraq
Nadeem Qadir, Agence France Presse
DHAKA, 2 April 2003 — Thousands of Bangladeshis are ready to join forces with the Iraqis to fight the US-led invasion, saying they want to join a jihad, or holy war, veterans said yesterday.
“We have at least 5,000 members and they are mostly eager to go to Iraq and fight the Anglo-American forces who are waging an unjust war,” Ziaul Kabir Dulu, chairman of the PRMS — Palestine Repatriated Muktijoddah Sangshad (Freedom Fighters Council), told AFP.
Members of PRMS have fought alongside Palestinians against Israel.
“We seek Allah’s blessings and we need fighters to save the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq with the spirit of jihad,” Dulu said.
He said he did not know if he would go to the Gulf, as he was in his 50s, but as well as members of his council there were many young Bangladeshis who have told him they want to join the war to save Iraq from “aggression.”
Mohammad Shahidullah, PRMS’s general secretary, added they took the decision to join the war at a meeting in Dhaka on Monday.
Asked how they planned to go to Iraq, Dulu said: “We joined the Palestine war by flying through different capitals before reaching Lebanon and we will try to do the same (this time).”
Dulu said the Bangladeshis would be fighting for the Iraqi people, not President Saddam Hussein.
“That is not the issue now, the issue is Iraqi people and their territorial integrity.
Duli said they wanted government backing as both Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and main opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed have called for an end to the Iraq war.>>>> |
