Politicians, jurist, businessman and rights activists on Saturday said that the country was going through a deep political crisis.
The death toll is on the rise as the government has resorted to repressive measures against any oppositional activities, they said at a discussion on ‘violence in the politics of Bangladesh and human rights’ organised by rights organisation Odhikar at a city hotel in Chittagong.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party city unit president Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, also former minister, ruling Awami League city unit vice-president AKM Belayet Hossain, Biplabi Workers Party city unit president Raja Mia, former lawmaker Majharul Haque Shah, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry director Mahfujul Haque Shah, public prosecutor Abul Hashem, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal leader Belayet Hossain, BNP leader Abu Sufian, Ganasanghati leader Hasan Maruf Rumi, ward councillors Rehana Kabir Ranu, Monowara Begum Moni, journalist Jahidul Karim Kochi, among others, addressed the roundtable.
Odhikar director ASM Nasir Uddin Elan moderated the discussion, while its programme officer Mohammad Ahsanuzzaman presented the keynote paper.
Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said that the country had never experienced such a political crisis before.
‘This is a contradiction in a democratic regime that the people cannot speak against the government elected to govern the country for a 5-year period,’ he said.
He said that the government was trying to evade its responsibility by holding Jamaat and Shibir responsible for Bhujpur and Banskhali incidents.
Half of the population of Bhujpur and Banskhali areas have been prosecuted over the incidents, while not more than five per cent of the population of the areas are Jamaat supporters, said the former minister.
Awami League leader AKM Belayet Hossain said that there would be no human rights if there was no democracy in a country.
‘You cannot import people from outside the country to run and form the government,’ he said.
-With New Age input
