Bangabhaban this year did not invite Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojahid to the Independence Day reception hosted yesterday by President Iajuddin Ahmed and his wife.

But Nizami and Mojahid, who are widely criticised for their anti-liberation role, were invited to the Independence Day parade at the National Parade Square in the capital.

Bangabhaban, however, invited other Jamaat leaders to the reception.

Jamaat sources said none of their leaders attended the Bangabhaban reception as the two top party leaders were not invited "properly".

Meanwhile, major political parties, socio-cultural organisations and war heroes also boycotted the Bangabhaban function in protest against invitation to the anti-liberation forces.

Leaders of Awami League (AL), Workers Party, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Liberal Democratic Party, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh and the sector commanders and freedom fighters did not show up at the party hosted by President Iajuddin Ahmed and his wife Anwara Begum.

The sector commanders and freedom fighters had earlier announced that they would not attend any state programme having anti-liberation elements including leaders of Jamaat, the party that had opposed the Liberation War and worked as an auxiliary force of the occupying Pakistan army.

Leaders of the BNP faction loyal to detained Chairperson Khaleda Zia also opted out of the reception, claiming they were not invited "properly".

The AL working committee had also decided that no one from the party would attend the Bangabhaban reception if Jamaat leaders and war criminals are invited there.

Talking to The Daily Star last night, deputy chief of the Liberation Forces and Sector Commanders Forum President AK Khandker said they boycotted the event as anti-liberation forces were invited there.

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, assistant secretary general of Jamaat, told The Daily Star that they skipped both the president's reception and the Independence Day parade as their ameer and secretary general were not invited to the Bangabhaban reception.

Mojahid and Nur Muhammad, attendant of Nizami, admitted that they did not attend the president's reception at Bangabhaban. Mojahid, however, refused to make any comment in this regard.