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Eminent citizens lament lax anti-terror efforts

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Thirty-six eminent citizens of the country in a joint statement yesterday pointed out lax anti-terrorism efforts by the government and demanded all-out measures to stop the menace.
"Although the law enforcement agencies have managed to arrest some terrorists and seized their explosives, we notice a laxity in the government effort against terrorism," says the statement signed by noted scholars, judge, human rights activists, journalists and retired bureaucrats.
They called for united efforts to fight militancy and a meaningful
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dialogue between the government and the opposition to work out ways and means to get rid of the terrorists.
"...The government has not been fully able to identify all the terrorists who are misinterpreting religion and take legal action against them," they observed.
Referring to the prime minister's pledge that she is ready to take action against the patrons of militants, they said people want to see that she takes proper action against lawmakers, ministers and others inside the government who are accused of harbouring the militants.
Expressing deep concern over the repeated bomb blasts and killing of innocent people, they said bomb attacks are being carried out since the attack on an Udichi function in Jessore in 1999 and such violence marked a sharp rise in the last two years.
"It is clear that some brutal religious bigots who lack good sense are the masterminds of the terrorist activities," the statement says.
Expressing strong condemnation and hatred for killing people in the name of religion, they said it seems that the terrorists are out to make the country a dysfunctional state by unleashing a reign of terror. The people are in a state of insecurity, they observed.
The statement says the state's most important duty is to ensure peace and rule of law and the government has to perform the duty on behalf of the state.
It is not possible to maintain social, economic and political stability and fulfil minimum hopes and aspirations of the people of a country where institutions responsible for ensuring peace and maintaining law and order fail to ensure security of the people.
"The people of this country established an independent, sovereign and secular state through supreme sacrifice. So some brutal extremists can never be allowed to continue their antipeople activities," says the statement.
"The government has to take whatever steps it needs to stop militant activities of the religious bigots and extremists; and it is a demand from all of us."
It said recurrence of terrorist activities suggested that many of those leading the attack have not been arrested and the supply of bombmaking materials and grenades to the terrorists has not been stopped. In this situation, people in the state power have to give direction to the law enforcers to help them launch successful drive against the terrorists.
The statement says the people should be informed of steps taken by the government against the militants and if the people see the government is not negligent in dealing with the terrorists, their fear of insecurity will automatically be removed.
The signatories to the statement believe that it will not be possible to eradicate terrorism, if anyone patronising militancy or having sympathy for the militants remain inside the government.
"Not only the opposition parties, but many in the ruling parties are also claiming that a section of people in the coalition government are harbouring the terrorists," they said.
On the other hand, they pointed out, the activities of the opposition parties reflect the ongoing power-centred politics that stands in the way of building united political resistance against fundamentalism and militancy whichis not desirable at all.
The eminent citizens said united efforts are needed to get rid of the terrorism and an opportunity has to be created so that the government and the opposition parties can work together in this regard. If the government and the opposition parties take combined and transparent initiatives against the terrorists, all ill-attempts of the militants will be foiled.
Referring to the prime minister's dialogue on militancy with the political parties and professional bodies, they said the prime minister would create a
congenial atmosphere for a meaningful discussion with the opposition parties.
"In the present situation of conflict and reciprocal no-cooperation between the government and the opposition parties will not bring good for the nation," the statement says.
The eminent citizens said militancy will exert a negative impact on the upcoming general election and create uncertainty about the continuation of the democratic system. To make the general election free, fair and neutral the black money holders, musclemen, load defaulters and corrupt people should be kept off from contesting the election, they suggested.
Signatories to the statement are Prof Salahuddin Ahmed, Syed Anwarul Karim, Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Mujibul Haq, M Syeduzzaman, Prof Mozaffer Ahmad, Justice Kazi Ebadul Haq, Prof Harunur Rashid, Abul Ahsan, M Hafizuddin Khan, ASM Shahjahan, Prof Ajay Roy, Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid, Nurul Haq, Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed, Prof Syed Anwar Hossain, Ataus Samad, Prof Amanuulla Ahmed, Prof Hasan Azizul Haq, Selina Hossain, Sultana Kamal, Prof Jaheda Ahmed, Shahdeen Malik, Syed Abul Maksud, Kafiluddin Mahmud, Prof Anupam Sen, Prof Shahidul Islam, Abul Momen, Prof Tofael Ahmed, Mizanur Rahman, Sharmin Murshid, Prof M Sekandar Khan, Prof Mainul Islam, MA Bari, Prof Badiul Alam Majumder and Prof Musharraf Hossain.