Selina Akhter, mother of Shaheed Dr Milon, on Friday urged both the ruling and the opposition parties to end the politics of violence and dump ‘fallen autocrat’ HM Ershad. Addressing a rally at the Shaheed Minar, she also demanded that ‘fallen autocrat’ Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad be punished for killing her son. The rally was organised by Gano Forum to observe the fall of the autocratic regime of Ershad on this day back in 1990. “Can we say there is democracy in the country when the punishment of the fallen autocrat for the killing of Milon, Zainul, Dipali Shaha, Noor Hossain and many others has not yet been completed? Rather, both the parties have rehabilitated the autocrat,” bemoaned Selina Akhter. She also held both AL and BNP responsible for giving birth to a politics of ‘violence, petrol bombs, arson attacks’ that is taking lives of non-partisan people every day. “I call both the parties to end violence to save lives. I urge BNP to immediately stop the rampage that has largely been sponsored by Jamaat-Shibir,” she added. Dilara Begum, mother of Buet student Sabekun Nahar Sony, who was killed in a gun battle over tender between two rival student groups on the university campus in 2002, also spoke on the occasion. “With due respect, I call on the two top leaders of the country (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia to take measures to end violence and barbarism in the name of politics,” she said. Speaking on the occasion, Gano Forum president Kamal Hossain said only an election under a neutral government can ensure democracy in the country. Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Gano Forum general secretary Mostofa Mohsin Montu also spoke on the occasion. – UNB
