Civil society members demand ban on Jamaat

Eminent civil society members under the banner of Bangladesh Rukhe Darao on Saturday said Jamaat-e-Islami must be banned as terrorist organisations for the atrocities they have orchestrated across the country.   Speakers of Bangladesh Rukhe Darao, a platform for civil society members, at a convention at Mymensingh Zila Parishad auditorium urged the government to ban Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.   They highlighted the need to reach out to ordinary citizens and make them part of the movement to establish a secular and democratic Bangladesh.   They also demanded that the government expedite the war crimes trial, resist communal violence and stand by its victims, take the country forward with the spirit of the Liberation War and allow free thinking, resist efforts to turn the country into a Taliban-style state and uphold women’s rights.   The convention was addressed by advocate Sultana Kamal, Ramendu Majumder, Abed Khan and Professor MM Akash, Dr Sarwar Ali and president of Mymensingh Nagorik Andolon advocate Anisur Rahman Khan.   Speakers said Ganajagaran Mancha, which was a movement of youths, had made them hopeful about the future of the country.   “There is no scope for the anti-liberation forces to stay in the country and they must be driven out,” Sultana Kamal said.   “As human beings we should resist the victims of communal violence,” she said.   If the past governments had acted properly against the war criminals and fundamentalist forces the country would not have to see the emergence of Hefajat-e-Islam, theatre personality Ramendu Majumder said.    Abed Khan urged the government to ban Jamaat-shibir immediately.   The young generation will drive the next general election and if the government tries to delay the trial of war criminals, young voters will give answer through ballots, Abed Khan warned.   The convention began with national anthem presented by advocate Nazrul Islam Chunnu and advocate Moazzem Hossain Babul. Shafiqul Haider Mukul read out a written statement at the convention.