Ban on two Islamist groups an eyewash

A partial view of the crowd at the Awami League public meeting at Bonarpara in Gaibandha on Thursday. PHOTO: STAR

Our Gaibandha Correspondent reports: Violence and unrest in society created by 'religious extremists' cannot be stopped only by banning two organisations.

To do away with these, politics in the name of religion and political parties which harbour extremists should be banned, said Awami League stalwart and former home minister Mohammed Nasim.

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Banning JMB and JMJB is an eyewash to befool the people, he said.

He was addressing a big public meeting on Bonarpara Shaheed Miner premise Thursday afternoon.

Incidents of grenade and bomb blast are taking place almost every day in the country and so-called Islamists are behind these, he said.

Law and order is deteriorating and people do not feel safe any where in the country now, he said.

He claimed that the law and order was much better during Awami League rule.

He also criticised the government for raising elite forces like Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in the name of nabbing criminals. Killing in so-called 'crossfire' is violation of human rights. Criminals caught by Rab are being killed in the name of 'crossfire' to save the ruling party godfathers behind them, he alleged.

"Top criminal like Ershad Sikder was arrested by police during Awami League rule. No special bahini was needed", he said.

"The State Minister for Home should resign after admitting that law enforcers can not arrest Bangla Bhai", the AL leader said.

Bangla Bhai is the creation of the present government, he claimed. His (Bangla Bhai) men killed and tortured men at will, but none of the incidents have been tried, Nasim deplored.

The former home minister said the country's image has been tarnished during the rule by the present four-party alliance government.

The people of the country are religious and peaceful but Bangladesh is being branded abroad as a country of fundaemtalists and extremists, he said.

He also criticised the government for what he called its "misrule and politicisation of the administration".

The AL leader also said his party does not like hartal but is compelled to go for this.

"We always discourage harta. But we have no alternative because the Jatiya Sangsad has been made inactive and we are not allowed to hold demonstrations to protest government's misdeeds", he said.

Addressing the meeting, AL central leader and former state minister for information Prof Abu Sayeed said there are 40 fundamentalist organisations in the county.

He said it is not believable when the government says police can not arrest Bangla Bhai.

Presided over by Shaghata upazila AL President Siddiqur Rahman Putu, the public meeting was addressed by, among other, AL leaders advocate Fazley Rabbi, Lutfar Rahman MP, Mohammed Khaled, Abu Bakr Siddique, Shah Masud, Jubo League leader Jahangir Kabir Milon and Chattra League leader Aminuzzamn Rinku.

Our Magura Correspondent reports: Awami League Presidium member and former water resources minister Abdur Razzak has said the ban on two religious extremist outfits is nothing but a government step 'to show donors that it is doing something'.

"Had the government been really sincere and unhappy over rise of fanatics, it would have acted long before, instead of issuing a press note banning Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) and Jamaatul-Mujaheedin Bangladesh (JMB) hours before the Washington meeting (of donors)", Razzak told a workers' rally organised by AL on Thursday, held on Jhenidah Club premises.

He said, the government high-ups and ruling coalition leaders repeatedly denied the existence of Bangla Bhai and JMJB or any extremist organisation in the country in the last three years.

"The sudden step banning the extremist outfits proves that it patronised these groups in the last three years".

Abdur Razzak called upon the party workers and people to unite to intensify the ongoing agitation to topple the alliance government. Fanatics will continue to do violence and crime under cover of the ruling parties so long this government stays in power, he said.

With district unit AL Convener Abdul Hai MP in the chair, the meeting was addressed by, among others, central AL Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan and party leaders Yasef Osman, S.M. Kamal Hossain and Prof MS Akbar, MP from Magura-1 constituency.