Anti-communal confce calls for resisting anti-liberation forces

Prof Emeritus Dr Anisuzzaman addresses a national anti-communal conference convened by 15 eminent citizens in the capital's Mohanagar Natya Mancha yesterday.Photo: STAR

Eminent citizens and leaders of social organisations and political parties yesterday called upon all non-communal, progressive and democratic forces to awaken and unite the country's people to build a national resistance against the communal and anti-liberation forces.
At a national anti-communal conference, they demanded banning the use of religion in politics, excluding religious elements from the constitution, completing the war crimes trial and ensuring due punishment of the war crimes accused.
They urged all to boycott political parties that are allied with the communal and anti-liberation forces, and stressed the need for infusing non-communal values and spirit of the Liberation War among the young generation to nip communalism in the bud.
Fifteen eminent citizens convened the conference, held in Kazi Bashir auditorium of the capital's Mahanagar Natya Mancha. Leaders of different political parties and socio-political organisations joined the conference to express solidarity.
Explaining the reason for holding the conference, Prof Zillur Rahman Siddique, one of the organisers, said, "Some recent incidents including violence in Ramu worried us. These incidents have shown how wrong we were when we thought that we had ousted communalism from the country.”
These incidents also show that there is no scope to keep mum, he said, adding that, "We have to find out who are nurturing the communal forces and what we should do to ward off those forces."
"We have to tell the history of Bangladesh to all, we have to tell them that there is no place for communalism in our country as the basis of the country was non-communalism," he said.
Prof MM Akash of Dhaka University read out a declaration paper on behalf of the organisers, urging all to establish an equal democratic culture defeating all communal, fundamentalist and militant forces, ensuring equal rights of citizens and creating opportunities for them, and moving the four basic principles of the Liberation War forward in every sphere of life.
Another organiser and noted theatre personality, Ramendu Majumdar, said the seed of communalism has been deeply planted in the society and communalism cannot be eliminated until the use of religion in politics is banned.
Emphasising chalking out a long-term plan to get rid of communalism, he said the Razakars and Al-Badrs were able to show their strength in this very month of victory as some political parties backed them up.
Sultana Kamal, former adviser to a caretaker government, said, “From this platform we have to announce that we want to see proper trial of the war crimes accused and the trial has to be completed.”
"We have to take clear stance here and speak out. A country may have thousands of good people, but if they keep mum then even a few criminals can fulfil their motives. We have to say that we want to see a Bangladesh where there will be no differences," she further said.
Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed said there is a lack of unity among the pro-liberation war forces.
JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu said, "We have to boycott the communal and militant forces and say that we would not make any alliance with those forces."
Workers Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon, journalist Abul Momen, poet-playwright Syed Shamsul Haq, Prof Anisuzzaman and historian Muntassir Mamoon, among others, also spoke.