Law Commission Chairman ABM Khairul Haque has emphasised the shunning of bigotry to make Bangladesh peaceful and prosperous.He made the call on Saturday at the fourth national convention of the Sector Commanders’ Forum in Dhaka.“Bangladesh is for everyone and we’ll have to listen to all,” he said in his opening remarks, noting that everyone had the right to practise his or her religion.“This country also belongs to those who don’t believe in religion,” Haque added.Some secular writers and bloggers, killed in Bangladesh in the past several years, had regularly received extremist threats.Former chief justice Haque called for booking all criminal to establish the rule of law.“It’s not just about war crimes, all criminals should be put on trial, that’s what the rule of law says,” he noted.Haque said the people fought in the Liberation War, responding to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s call.“…He (Bangabandhu) taught us that the Bengali, as a nation, has a different culture… That’s why he is the greatest Bengali of all time,” he added.
Dhaka University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Nasreen Ahmad reminded that the freedom fighters had not taken part in Liberation War for material gains.“Unfortunately, nowadays many identify themselves as freedom fighters for meagre facilities,” the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra news presenter lamented.She said it was the freedom fighters’ duty to uphold the true history of the war.Ahmad felt it was necessary to list those who opposed the liberation and put them on trial instead of making a new list of freedom fighters.Sector Commanders’ Forum chief KM Shafiullah stressed importance of identifying war crimes suspects and putting them on trial.Former Islamic Foundation chairman Fariduddin Masud said executing a few war criminals was not enough.“The Jamaat-e-Islami has to be outlawed without any delay,” he stressed.“They opposed the Liberation War in the name of Islam and, now, they are practising politics using religion, although Islam prohibits such use of religion.”
