Take measures so that no party can spread violence

A group of 237 eminent citizens, including academics, artists, journalists, and rights activists, urged law enforcers to take adequate measures to prevent any political party from spreading violence on the streets.

Political violence threatens public safety and law enforcement must ensure that no party is allowed to disrupt law and order situation, they said in a statement today.

The statement reads, "We have recently witnessed horrific violence on the streets. We had expressed concern earlier that such violence would take place during the religious festivals of two religions, but the BNP and Jamaat ignored this and held rallies. The day before the violence, BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman called on party workers to unite on the streets to oust the government."

The eminent citizens also said, "We strongly reject the call for a blockade by BNP-Jamaat on Tuesday. Such strikes caused chaos and destruction for people in 2013-2015. They have not yet forgotten the memories of arson attacks on vehicles, murders, and attacks on minorities by BNP-Jamaat cadres."

"The announcement of the three-day blockade programme in the midst of a global economic crisis is certainly a reflection of the sheer indifference of the leadership of these parties. Bangladesh will again face major economic losses in such a complex situation in the world. Bangladesh suffered thousands of dollars in damage for such violence from 2013 to 2015," the statement reads.

The statement was signed by Shahriar Kabir, Ramendu Majumdar, Muntassir Mamun, Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, Salma Haque, Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, Rana Dasgupta, Nasiruddin Yousuff, Captain (Retd) Alamgir Sattar, Dr Amjad Hossain, Nurun Nabi, Sheikh Baharul Alam, Dr Iqbal Kabir, Subrata Chakraborty, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Nirmal Rozario, and others.

In a separate press statement, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a legal aid and human rights organisation, also expressed deep concern over the recent incidents of political violence, and demanded an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the violence and bring them to justice.

They called on all political parties to adopt peaceful programmes and respect the right to peaceful assembly. It also said, violence is not the answer, political parties have to solve the problems through mutual discussion and dialogue.