From: Prof. Ajoy Roy, Dhaka

Dear Mukto-Monas,

A citizens' Committee was formed on 6^th November to combat the communal forces in our country and to protect the rights of minority communities, women and other weaker social groups in BD. The committee was formed in a grand assembly of prominent secular, rationalist and humanist intellectuals of the country. Here is the press reports published in all leading dailies of Dhaka on 7^th November, 2001.

Ajoy Roy

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Dhaka : 7^th November ( Sangbad, Daily Star, JanaKantha ... )

A meeting of the conscious citizens of Dhaka was held on 6^th November at Muktiyodha Jadughar (Museum of Liberation war). The assembly of citizens, convened by a prominent group of intellectuals of Bangladesh which include among others Prof. Khan Surwar Mursheed (retired professor of English, DU), Prof. Salahuddin Ahmed. Noted historian, Pro. Zillur Rahman Siddiq, (retired V.C. J.N.U), Writer & Poet, Mr. Sardar Fazlul Karim, Philosopher & Political Scientist, Prof. Anisuzzaman, Writer, Cultural Personality, Prof. Ajoy Roy, Scientist & Writer, Prof. Sirajul Islam Choudhury, Writer & Columnist, Prof. Musharaff Hosain, Economist, Prof. A. M. Harun Ar Rashid, Scientist, Popular Science writer, Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Economist, Prof. Hayat Mahmud, Essayist, Critic, Prof. Syed Anwar Hosain, Historian.... was to discuss continued atrocities on the religious and ethnic minorities being carried out by the supporters of victorious BNP led 4-party alliance and to chalk out a follow up program to stop this unabated repression on the minority communities and womenfolk .

The intellectuals who represent the country's most talented rationalist secular and free thinking personalities include poet, writers, scientists, journalists, teachers, lawyers, and conscious group of persons belonging to different professions expressed their bitter and critical reaction against the government of 4-party alliance and the erstwhile caretaker government of Latifur Rahman for their inaction in combating the evil forces to save the life, property, dignity, and honour of the weaker section of our nationals, particularly religious minorities. The speakers in the citizens' assembly opined that by dragging religion into state affairs the word "Peoples' Republic" (Ganaprajatantri) in our constitution has been polluted. There is no place of the so-called state religion in our constitution. The very word is against the concept of our war of liberation. In 1971 people fought unitedly against the occupation army irrespective of their religion, colour, and caste or ethnic group(s). The speakers urged upon the people that inspired by the deep sense of non-communalism we have to unite in a platform of humanity. They further pointed out that if we have to fight against communalism and parochialism we must first free ourselves from communalism. We have to cultivate it within and inspire others to do so.

The speakers expressed their indignation that the government has no intention nor will to combat the torture and atrocities on the minorities and women. It is therefore useless, they opined to appeal to government for redress or stopping these inhuman crimes committed against the humanity. They also criticized AL leaders for their irresponsibility and failure to come forward in combating the communal forces. These sorts of repression and attacks on weaker section of the society are tantamount to attacking on the humanity itself. They said that we have to make a happy union of humanism with our conscience to fight against the communal and evil forces. Presided over by Professor Salahuddin Ahmed, a noted historian and a secularist, the meeting was addressed by Prof. Musharraf Hosain, Prof. K. S. Mursheed, Prof. Sirajul Islam Choudhury, Prof. Kabir Choudhury, Dramatist Ali Jaker, Journalist Santosh Gupta, AL leader Col.(retd.) Showkat Ali, and Prof. Ajoy Roy.

Col. Ali criticized his own party for their thorough disarray in combating atrocities against their workers and minorities. He even complained that for the fear of loosing popularity among the Muslim voters and loosing seats in the parliament we failed to stand against the communalism in right perspectives or to uphold the ideals of secularism. He doubted if it is possible to become soldiers of Bangabandhu by giving up his ideals. Prof. Musharraf opined the gradual criminalization of our political parties and other institutions have led to this situation. Unless the process of criminalization is stopped and the criminal forces are wiped from these organizations it is a huge task to stop communal atrocities. Calling the present Government of Khaleda Zia as communal Professor Sardar Fazlul Karim expressed that it is a sear contradiction to call upon a communal government to stop communalism. Professor Sirajul Islam Choudhury condemned the government for its failure to restore peace in the communally trouble places in the country. He urged upon that a broad based citizens' committee irrespective of political ideology be formed. Mr. Santosh Gupta criticized the past mistake of AL leaders and their indecisive stand against the caretaker government when they were indulging the communal forces to operate in the remote villages threatening the minority and women voters. While they were in power for five years they did not do anything effective to weaken anti-liberation political forces and religious fanatics.

Choked with emotion, Prof. Ajoy Roy narrated his personal experience of physical and mental torture carried on the minority womenfolk of all ages and the violation of human right in general. He stressed that our basis of liberation-war has been the secularism and liberal democracy. But at the present set up of the constitution it is no more true. The minorities have been reduced to third grade citizens. These actions of BNP and Ershad's JP to de-secularize the state, and inspired by the take over of the state power by fundamentalist backed non secular force, the communal forces tuned on the women in general and ethnic-religious minorities in particular. The main objective of this force is to make Bangladesh free from ethnic-religious minorities as had been done in Afghanistan and then in Pakistan. He stressed the need of union of secular, rationalist and humanist forces to work together to restore secularism in our constitution and combat the fundamentalists as we did in 60' and 70's. He however opposed the participation of those elements in the citizens' committee, in the name of broad based concept, who have political leaning with those parties which are avowedly anti secular and pro-Islamic. Because, he said, our fight is against those very parties and forces.