Top leaders of different opposition parties at a seminar in the city yesterday stressed a broad-based united movement with a single objective -- forcing the government to step down -- for what they said is "ruling alliance's absolute failure to govern."
United movement of all opposition parties and professional bodies can free the people from the clutches of the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition government and end its misrule, they said.
Jatiya Oikya Mancha (platform for national unity) organised the seminar on "National Unity for National Security" at Mahanagar Natya Mancha, and its chief Dr Kamal Hossain was in the chair.
Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil said people are now ready to oust the government but the political leaders are just following them instead of leading them due to their (leaders) meanness. Now is the time to unite in the greater interest of the nation, leaving aside all sorts of narrowness, he said.
The AL leader called upon all
like-minded parties to intensify the oust-government movement simultaneously.
"Let's hold rallies at all divisional headquarters to be addressed by leaders advocating unity from this platform. I am quite confident people will join hands with us to compel the present rulers to quit power," he said.
"The Awami League is not fighting against this government only for power. We are struggling for basic rights and needs of the people."
Jalil asked the like-minded parties to formulate a declaration incorporating basic problems facing the country now and their solution.
Former president and chief of the Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury said people are now united for a change of the government but the political parties are divided.
He called for national unity under corruption and violence-free leadership.
The BDB chief said his party is ready to prepare a "people's manifesto" incorporating demands and aspirations of the people to change the government.
Referring to huge arms hauls and bomb blasts in the country in the last three years, Badruddoza said the present government should resign immediately. National security and democracy are at sake under it, he added.
Dr Kamal Hossain said fundamentalist elements are gaining strength under government patronisation. Itis not possible to root out these communal forces without united movement, he felt.
"We were united during the liberation war and once again we should be united with that spirit to fight against the present government", Kamal said.
Supporting the one-point movement to oust the government, Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim stressed inclusion of some more points in the movement programme, including elimination of fundamentalist forces from the country.
"We the political parties are united and it is better to intensify the oust-government movement from the parties' own platforms. Different parties will hit this communal government from different sides," he said.
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said, "On the question of unity, we are misguided by ourselves. We should go ahead unitedly with more specific programmes".
Others who spoke included Rokan Uddin Mahmud, president of Supreme Court Bar Association; Mahi B Chowdhury, BSD leader Khalequzzaman, journalist Ataus Samad, Sultana Kamal of Ain-O-Salish Kendra, Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Pankaj Bhattacharya, Ajay Roy, Haji Abdus Samad and Zahirul Islam.