Different political and cultural organisations on Friday protested against the 13th Jatiya Sangsad’s adoption of the condolence motion on war crimes convicts related to the country’s 1971 war of independence.

Leaders of the organisations, in separate statements, also condemned the behaviour of a section of opposition lawmakers who disrespected the national anthem during the first sitting of the Jatiya Sangsad on March 12.

During the first sitting, the House adopted a condolence motion on 31 former lawmakers and several other  distinguished national and international personalities.

The names of the personalities include Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Abdul Quader Molla, Kamaruzzaman, Mir Quasem Ali and Delwar Hossian Sayeedi, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, all of whom were convicted in war crimes cases during the Awami League regime.

Sayeedi, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, died in prison and the remaining six were executed between 2012 and 2016.

Cultural organisation Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi, in a statement on Friday, condemned and rejected the inclusion of the names of convicted war criminals in the condolence motion.

At the same time, Udichi demanded punishment for opposition lawmakers for dishonouring the national anthem by not standing up during its rendition before the president’s speech in the House.

Udichi faction’s acting president Mahmood Selim and general secretary Amit Ranjan Dey said that the condolence motion was not only a distortion of history but also a grave insult to the martyrs of the country’s liberation war.

Saying that the move sent a wrong message to the new generation, they added that disrespecting the national anthem undermined the constitutional values and national dignity.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad also condemned the behaviour of a section of opposition lawmakers who remained seated on their respective seats instead of standing up to show respect during the rendition of the national anthem in the House on Thursday.

The organisation, in a statement, firmly called on representatives of all political parties to ensure respect for the national anthem and to uphold the spirit of the liberation war.

Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh general secretary Iqbal Kabir Zahid, in a separate statement, protested at and condemned the adoption of the condolence motion on war crimes convicts.

He demanded immediate cancellation of the condolence motion.

At the same time, he announced a nationwide protest programme for March 15 in protest against the adoption of the condolence motion.

Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, in another statement, also condemned and protested at the adoption of the condolence motion.

He also slammed the parliament chief whip who proposed the names of ‘recognised war criminals’ to include in the condolence motion.

Bangladesh Juba Federation convener Golam Mostafa and member secretary Zahid Sujon, in a joint statement, said that the condolence motion was a grave insult to the sacrifice of three million martyrs of the liberation war.