Razakar
Wikimedia disambiguation page
Razakar (Persian: رضا کار) is etymologically a Persian word which literally means volunteer. The word is also common in Urdu language as a loanword.
In Pakistan and India
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 Bangladesh 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" 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.
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This entry incorporates text from “Razakar” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.