Bangladesh News

Different socio-cultural, professional and student organisations yesterday continued to condemn the deal signed between Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish (BKM).
They urged AL to scrap the deal as it is against the spirit of Liberation War and against the spirit of a secular, democratic and welfare state.

11-Party, an alliance of left political parties, held a press conference and feared that if the deal were implemented, it would destroy democracy, the spirit of Liberation War and the constitution.

“The agreement will fuel and strengthen the country’s conservative and reactionary forces to launch a broader movement for introducing blasphemy laws,” Bimol Biswas, convenor of the 11-Party alliance, said.

He urged AL to cancel the agreement for the sake of democracy and secularism because this agreement, instead of helping, would harm AL in the next general election. “It will frighten the country’s religious minority as well as the progressive and liberal forces.”

Samajik Pratirodh Committee in a press release said the whole nation is stunned at the news of such a suicidal agreement.

All progressive women organisations and intellectuals had welcomed the High Court’s verdict banning fatwas in 2001 after many women were killed and hundreds fell prey to fatwas by Islamic fundamentalists during the last two decades, the press release added.

Hena Das, Ayesha Khanam, Advocate Sultana Kamal, Shirin Akhter, Advocate Salma Ali, Shaheen Anam, Rasheda K Chowdhury Sharif A Kafi, Jakir Hossain, Rokeya Kabir, Khushi Kabir and other members of the Samajik Pratirodh Committee signed the press release.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil Saturday signed a five-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BKM promising to implement it if the grand electoral alliance is voted to power in the upcoming election.

Key points of the 5-point MoU include enacting new laws to allow certain clerics issue fatwas (religious decrees), recognise Qaumi madrasa certificates, bar on enacting any law that contradicts Quranic values and punish blasphemy.

In another press release, Jatiya Mukti Council said the deal intends to destroy the country’s democratic and progressive spirit and will encourage fatwas and militancy.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation also issued statements protesting and condemning the controversial agreement.

Forty-eight scholars, intellectuals and eminent citizens of Rajshahi in a statement yesterday expressed their dismay over the agreement between AL and BKM and demanded its immediate cancellation, our RU correspondent reports.

The statement said, “We were astounded, saddened and distressed at signing of the five-point charter (between AL and BKM)”.

They said, while AL under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had played a pioneering role to build a progressive and secular nation, they now signed a contract joining hands with the evil forces that were against the War of Independence.

This will inspire religious fanatics to abuse religion for gains as well as violate freedom of speech and civil rights with fatwas and thus establish a theocratic state, the statement added.

The statement further said, “We look forward to seeing AL cancel the suicidal contract immediately and make it public…. We find no stronger way to condemn the act as it was a surrender of AL to the fanatic forces.”

The signatories of the statement were Hasan Azizul Haque, Sanat Kumar Saha, Julfiquar Matin, Moloy Bhoumik, SM Abu Baker, AKM Abdul Majid, Ananda Kumar Saha, Goolam Kabir, Mohammad Naser, Mahendranath Adhikari, Khandaker Serajul Haque, Amritalal Bala, Shamsuddin Ilias, Mizanur Rahman Khan, Harunor Rashid and others.