Khelafat Majlis roundtable for united movement for democracy

Speakers at a roundtable on ways to overcome national crisis organised by the Khelafat Majlis at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Saturday.

The need for a determined united movement was emphasized at a roundtable in Dhaka on Saturday for the restoration of democratic and fundamental rights of the people and securing the independence and sovereignty of the country.

The roundtable on the way to solving the national crisis was organized at the Dhaka Reporters’Unity by the Khelafat Majlis with its president Mpoulana Abdul Basit Azad in the chair.

Speakers at the programme said that non-participation of the vast majority of the people in the January 7 election and the on-going upazila elections proved that the people has responded positively to the opposition call not to join lopsided polls. 

They said that the present government relied not on people’s support but on foreign powers and corrupt elements who were plundering the economy for their own benefits. The collapse of banks and the stock market indicated that the economy might collapse any time due to misrule and corruption. 

In his presidential Address Moulana Abdul Basit Azad said that the only way to overcome the prevailing crisis is to wage movement by getting united to save country and the people and Islam. He told all opposition parties that there was no time to quarrel ovrer petty things because in his words “the house has caught fire”. Let's first of all save the country and then will have time to resolve our differences.

Shamsuzzaman Dudu, vice chairman of BNP said that the people of Bangladesh had discarded Pakistan for lack of democracy and economic deprivation, and fought a bloody war to achieve independence. But now they have lost everything.  

He said that without struggle nothing is achieved and called upon the people to get united for the success of the movement for democracy.

Referring to the charges of corruption of brought against former Army chief Gen Aziz Ahmed and former Police chief Benajir Ahmed, he said their episodes convey where we are. He raised a question as to who created them. Dudu said a bad situation that was prevailing in the country now was not seen in the last 52 years.

Manzurul Islam Afendi, Jamayate Ulamaye Islam alleged that all pillars of the state have been damaged and the country might collapse any time. Institution of election, Human rights, freedom of expression, food security, sovereignty, every thing stand destroyed, he said.

Adv Kazi Abul Khair, secretary general, Bangladesh Muslim League said India never accepted the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh and was a friend not of Bangladesh but of the Awami League.

Adv of Supreme Court AKM Badruddoza said the present situation is due to tolerence of misrule. This government has played with the spirit of the war of liberation, he said.

Hamidur Rahman Azad, ex MP and assistant secretary general, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami; Moulana Ahmed Ali Kasemi Nayebe Amir khelafat Majlis; Ashraf Ali Akand, political adviser to Islami Andolan Bangladesh; Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokan, president, Supreme Court Bar Association; Boby Hazzaz, jatiyatabadi, Ganatantrik Andolan; Nurul Huq Nur, president, Gono Odkikar Parishad; Moulana Abu Taleb Zehadi, advisory committee member, Khelafat Majlis; Prof. Salequzzaman; Dr. Mustafizur Rahman Iran, chairman, Bangladesh labour party; Mojibur Rahman Manju, secretary, Amar Bangladesh Party; Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, GreenWatch Dhaka; Moulana Tafazzul Huq Aziz, Shaikhul Hadith Parishad; Sheikh Rezaul Karim, ex Assistant Attorney general; Moulana Izahar, secterary, Nezam-e-Islam Party; Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, general secretary, Bangladesh NAP spoke at the function among others.