Anti-liberation forces destructive for dev

War crimes trial campaigners yesterday urged the government to take necessary steps to observe March 25 as "Mass Killing Day" both locally and globally to commemorate the deaths of millions of people throughout the world including Bangladesh.

They also cautioned the government against complacency about economic growth till elimination of the anti-liberation elements because "they are destructive for development".

They were addressing a discussion on the "21st Death Anniversary of Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam" in the capital's WVA Auditorium, organised by Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee.

The platform also hosted Jahanara Imam Memorial Speech and distributed Jahanara Imam Medal.

Cultural organisation Chhayanaut and Ajay Roy, professor of physics at Dhaka University and father of slain blogger Avijit Roy, received the medal for contributing to the promotion of secularism.

Delivering the memorial speech on "Cultural Movement of Bangladesh (1961-1971)", President of Chhayanaut Dr Sanjida Khatun described how cultural movement grew and spread throughout the country gradually even during the oppressive regimes of then Pakistan.

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said mass movement always got strength from cultural movement. She hoped that the government would take steps to get March 25 recognised as "Mass Killing Day".

On that day in 1971, the Pakistani military started murdering unarmed Bangalees.

Historian Muntassir Mamoon said, "If fundamentalists and militants exist, then what is the point of GDP growth?"

"For about 30 years, BNP-Jamaat sowed their ideologies in people but the incumbent government has failed to sow its. Education, culture and Liberation War affairs ministries will have to take the responsibility of this failure," he said.

The professor said the trial of war criminals had given a scope to unmask the character of Jamaat leaders but no leaders except Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was committed to trying the criminals.

Commemorating Jahanara Imam, Prof Ajoy Roy said, "If she were not born, perhaps no movement against the war criminals would be launched. We should be thankful to her."

Slamming the government, he said, "Bloggers are being killed one after another but we've not seen any reaction from the government." Killers were identified in the CCTV cameras, but they are not being arrested, he said. "Is it intentional?" he asked.