People deprived of right to free speech

Although the right to agree or disagree with any view is integral to democracy, people of the country are deprived of it, said speakers yesterday at a discussion on Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, one of the great leaders of undivided India.

When a country shuns the principles of democracy, violence of different forms reign supreme, they said at the discussion organised by Manik Miah Foundation at its office in the capital marking the 52nd death anniversary of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Professor and writer Abul Quasem Fazlul Haq, who presided over the event, said Suhrawardy upheld the principles of democracy throughout his political career. "But in today's changed reality we'll have to conceptualise democracy in a different way. It has to be enjoyed and accessed by all people, not the upper class only," he stressed, adding that concept should encompass economic, social and cultural development. He said the words secular, state religion Islam and socialism should be omitted from the constitution.

Prof Amena Mohsin of Dhaka University said,"It is our collective failure that we have no strong opposition in the country which is an essential character of democracy."

Suhrawardy treated his political opponents in a completely different way than today's politicians, she added."He used to say that my opponents will be left to be tried in the court of people. But nowadays, it seems like politicians resort to violence and lawsuits to weaken opponents," she stressed.

Former editor of the daily Ittefaq Rahat Khan, Prof Syed Anwar Hossain, and journalist Mahfuz Ullah also spoke.