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Proper leadership by politicians needed to root out militancy

Consultation meeting told

STAFF CoRRESpoNDENT
Speakers at a consultation meeting yesterday stressed the need for able political leadership to organise the people to root out communal militant forces who have endangered national security, and challenged the independence of the country by defiling the sprit of the Liberation War.
The speakers comprising politicians, lawyers, academicians, businessmen and economists said due to some mistakes made by the pro-liberation forces and division among them, the defeated antiliberation communal forces have been rejuvenated are conspiring to capture state power with recurring rampant bomb attacks across the
country.
Left leaning 11-party coalition organised the meeting on "Secular foundation of the Liberation War; Militancy; and the National Security" in the Multi Purpose Centre of the Institute of Diploma Engineers of Bangladesh in the capital.
Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain presided over the meeting where the leaders of Awami League (AL) led 14-party opposition coalition also spoke.
AL presidium members Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta MP, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haq Inu and Workers Party (WP) President Rashed Khan were among the
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14-party leaders who spoke at the meeting.
Prof Zafar Iqbal, Prof Anisuzzaman, Dr Kazi Kholiquzzaman, president of Bangladesh Economics Society, economist Prof Abul Barakat, Abul Ahsan, president of Centre for Democracy, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, vice chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, Yusuf Abdullah Harun, former president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), Ibrahim Khaled, managing director of Pubali Bank Ltd, Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid, former vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, editor of The Daily Bangladesh Observer and Mahfuz Anam, editor of The Daily Star also spoke.
Dr Kamal criticised the government for its 'dillydallying' in coming clean on theissue of the Islamist militants.
He said despite the opposition's repeated demand to deal with the militants sternly and the media's incessant exposure of the militants the government kept on accusing the opposition and the media of tarnishing the image of the country by harping on the issue.
How will the government now explain to the people the rising tide of militantsin the country, he asked.
He said the government is concealing information about the militants instead it is inviting the opposition for a dialogue, which makes no sense at all.
The Gono Forum president said despite suffering from a severe sense of insecurity there has developed a national consensus against the communal militants.
Tofail Ahmed said it is true that politicians have lost credibility with the people. All the sectors have been degraded and values in every spheres of life have been destroyed including politics, he said.
On the issue of militants he said the forces that had been defeated through the Liberation War have given rise to the militants. With a voice choking with emotions he said today the antiliberation forces are carrying the flags of Bangladesh. "This is what Bangladesh has come down to," he said.
Blaming the BNP-Jamaat led alliance government for the rise of militant activities he said the proliberation forces will again defeat the once-defeated communal forces with the spirit of 1971 and will enshrine the secular sprit of Bangladesh.
Suranjit Sengupta MP said to eliminate militants and to establish a corruption free democratic country the 14-party coalition has formulated a 23-point political programme for the future of Bangladesh by discussing with the
civil society.
He admitted to the failures and mistakes of the politicians and said they also made a lot of sacrifices for the nation.
Hasanul Haq Inu identified three mistakes of the politicians that are responsible for the rise of communal forces and their militant activities. He said those mistakes were declaring a general amnesty against the genocidal collaborators to the invading Pakistani army, continuing the same governmental and state policies as the erstwhile Pakistan even after independence and increasing chasms among the freedom fighters after independence. On the issue of dialogue he said the government actually wants to distract the attention of the nation to another direction in the name of a dialogue. Callingit a farce he said if they really want dialogues then it has to be at first within their cabinet and the parties.
Porf Abul Barakat identified four reasons for the rise of the militants that include general amnesty to the war criminals, political and economical criminalisation, all kinds of discrimination and incorporation of a particular religion in the constitution as the state religion throwing out secularism.
Barrister Rokanuddin said the first important thing self-correction and reform in one's own party. Not only politicians but people of all sectors including economists, lawyers and justices have to bring self-correction in their own. Otherwise the situation would not improve
Prof. Zafar Iqbal said we have made such a society where militants are growing. Those who are getting militants are helpless and innocent. The masterminds are the real culprits who seemingly will remain out of touch.
He also criticised the education system of the country, which rarely encourage science, and technology based education.
Mahfuz Anam said if the situation is like that the militants will make bomb attack if any school play national anthem and hoist national flag there is no alternative to resist them right now.
Among others, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Khushi Kabir of Nojera Kori, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Feroz M Hasan of Bilakpa Dhara Bangladesha and Dr. Susanto Das of Sylhet Shahajalal University of Engineering and Technology.