Report in The Daily Star, June 10, 2017
Bangladesh is facing challenges from fundamentalists and religion-based groups, and the young generation will have to come forward to rebuild the society, speakers at a discussion said yesterday.
According to them, a large number of youths still believe the situation can be changed by waging a cultural and progressive movement.
They stressed the need for organising a mass upsurge like the Gonojagoron Mancha.
Sanglapsutra, a newly-floated platform of young journalists, writers and rights activists, organised the discussion titled “Kon Pothe Bangladesh?” (Where is Bangladesh heading for?) in the capital’s Liberation War Museum.
The call comes at a time when some radical Islamist groups, including the Hefajat-e Islam, are spreading hateful lies against some eminent citizens, including rights activist Sultana Kamal.
Prof Ajoy Roy, father of slain writer Avijit Roy, called upon youths to get united and take to the streets to establish a secular society and prevent the rise of radical groups.
Nothing can be achieved without waging a movement, he said.
Prof Muhammed Zafar Iqbal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology said insolvent parents send their children to Qawmi madrasas as those provide free education and residential facilities.
Iqbal, also a noted writer, underscored the need for providing people with authentic information to make them aware of militancy and radicalism.
Sarwar Ali, trustee of the Liberation War Museum, said all problems were rooted in the radical explanation of religion and its use in politics.
“Use of religion in politics is tainting both religion and politics,” he added.
Prof Anwar Hossain, former vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, called for holding elections to student unions at universities to build a progressive nation.
Language Movement veteran Ahmad Rafique said hate attacks on the houses of religious minority people in Ramu of Cox’s Bazar and Nasirnagar of Brahmanbaria as well as arson in Santal houses in Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj prove that Bangladesh is “not a non-communal country”.
Many people might take the murder of Tonu as a stray incident, but in fact it was not, he said.
“So many incidents, including those of violence against women, are taking place. The society has turned out to be one without protests.”
Rights activist Khushi Kabir alleged that wrong interpretation of religion was being given to make communal provocations in the society.
Progressive forces should find out ways to reach out to people as many still believe that changes can be made in the society, she said.
Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque of Dhaka University urged all to reach a national consensus to prevent the rise of Islamist groups like Hefajat.
Cultural personality Lubna Marium said there should be a progressive political movement to rebuild the society. She called for finding out the reasons behind choosing the path of militancy by youths.
Reading out a written statement, journalist Julfikar Ali Manik, a key organiser of Sanglapsutra, said some people in the previous years used muscle power and carried out physical attacks to counter arguments instead of taking part in creative debates.
He said religious fanaticism of Hefajat, militant attacks and threats of physical attacks by some vested groups were part of a series of efforts to curb the freedom of speech.
Eminent jurist Barrister Amirul Islam, economist Prof Kazi Kholiquzzaman, architect Shamsul Wares, Prof Salimullah Khan, Prof Sadeka Halim, Ain o Salish Kendra Executive Director Sheepa Hafiza and Prof Mahfuza Khanam, among others, spoke at the discussion.www.thedailystar.net/backpage/call-protect-society-radical-forces-1418155
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