RASC News Agency: Residents of Bamyan have expressed outrage, accusing Roshan Telecom of intensifying their suffering on August 15, a day already marred by deep sorrow. Roshan, in a message sent to all its subscribers, referred to this day as “Afghanistan’s Victory Day” and extended congratulations. However, for the people of Bamyan, as for many across Afghanistan, this day is remembered as a dark chapter in the nation’s history. Bamyan residents regard August 15 as a day of national tragedy, a day when the people of Afghanistan fell captive to an ignorant group, forcing many into exile.
Ahmad, a resident of Bamyan, shared his anguish with RASC: “Last night, I was contemplating the future of my children, my daughters, and the harsh reality of our lives. The image of Bamyan’s fall played vividly in my mind the terror that engulfed us, the looting of public property, and the seizure of personal vehicles. The brutality of the Taliban haunts me. I wondered how life under this group would be, fearing they might slaughter us as they did two decades ago.
The massacre of more than 300 civilians in 2000, the execution of dozens in Sarasiab village in the heart of Bamyan, the destruction of Bamyan’s statues, and the burning of homes all these memories torment me. In the midst of this nightmare, Roshan sent a message congratulating the ‘victory and success of the Islamic Emirate on August 15.’ This message was like salt on my wounds. My heart burned. I couldn’t contain myself; I walked around in agony. When I saw the same cursed message on my wife’s phone, I thought to myself this company, which has been stealing our money under the guise of activation fees, taking 10% of our earnings as taxes, is now adding salt to our wounds. On August 15, I broke every SIM card in my family that was connected to Roshan, and I call on the international community to blacklist Roshan for supporting terrorist groups.”
Ahmad claims that Roshan supports the Taliban, adding, “On August 15, they congratulated everyone on the victory. But can an Islamic country be conquered?” Simultaneously, numerous complaints have surfaced from other citizens who received messages from telecom networks congratulating them on the Taliban’s victory. The public has responded with widespread outrage to these messages.
August 15 marks the fall of Kabul. The Taliban regard this day as “Yawm al-Fath” (Day of Victory).
