Journalists, activists and leaders of different socio-cultural
organisations on Tuesday demanded government protection for bloggers,
publishers, free-thinkers and people of different faiths who are being
hacked to death by Islamic militants one after another.
They
organized a Unity and Solidarity Rally in front of the National Press
Club in Dhaka urging the government to identify and arrest the secret
killers without harassing ordinary people, who are being arrested in
thousands in the ongoing anti-militancy drive by law enforcing agencies.
Media
Activists for Secular Bangladesh (MASB), a journalists’ platform,
organized the rally, which was presided over by Joint Secretary General
of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and MASB coordinator
Pulack Ghatack.
Secretary General of BFUJ Omar Faruque, former
Secretary General Abdul Jalil Bhuyian, former General Secretary of Dhaka
Union of Journalists (DUJ) Quddus Afrad, General Secretary of Dhaka
Reporters Unity Razu Ahmed, Noted lyricist and Convenor Sangskriti
Mancha Selim Reza, Joint Secretary of Sanmilito Samajik Andalan Sanwar
Hossain, President of Juba Oikkya Khairul Alam, General Secretary of the
Dhaka City Unit of Ganatantri Party Minhaj Uddin Selim, General
Secretary of Swadhinata Sangbadik Parishad Hamid Mohammad Jasim, Welfare
Secretary of DUJ Ummul Wara Sweety, former General Secretary of Crime
Reporters Association Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Executive Member of Udich
Shilpi Gosthi Shakil Oronno, organizer of Samprodaikota O Jongibad
Birodhi Sangbadik Manch Rajan Bhattachariya and representatives of
different many other organisations addressed the rally expressing
solidarity with the movement.
The speakers said the government
did not take any action against Hefazat-e-Islam leader Allama Ahmed
Shafi, who issued an addict publicly saying, “It has become a duty for
the Muslims to kill the infidels.”
Hefazat has become a den of
Islamic militants, but the government is not taking any action against
its leaders. Rather, the fanatic Islami organisation is getting
government’s favour, the speakers alleged in the rally. They said
anti-militancy drive cannot be a success if it is compromised with
extremist organisations like Hefazat.
Pulak Ghatack/RI