Beware of fascist forces' regrouping bid, face it

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus alerts politicians to "fascist forces' regrouping" bid and urges reinforcing national unity against such attempts.

Poor law-and-order situation and weak administration were highlighted from the other sides in two spells of consultation between the head of post-uprising government of Bangladesh and leaders of 17 political parties and alliances.

There were learnt to be strong pleas from some of the political leaders at the meet, particularly from BNP representatives, for fixing election date and ensuring smooth run-up to the polls to tide over the off-again, on-again unrest. The first meeting was held on Tuesday night with four major political parties and the second one with 13 political parties on Wednesday afternoon at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka, in the wake of latest series of happenings.

During the Wednesday meeting, Chief Adviser Yunus emphasised stronger political unity against "fascist forces despite ideological differences and competition".

"Differences and rivalries may exist, but the unity of all political parties against fascism must be made more visible. Otherwise, these forces will perceive it as an opportunity to regroup," he told the leaders at the high-profile meeting with thirteen political parties and alliances.

The meeting discussed national unity, the upcoming elections, and resistance to fascist forces, official sources said.

Among the participants were Syed Hasibuddin Hossain of Rashtra Sangskar Andolon, Zonayed Saki of the Ganosamhati Andolon, Mojibur Rahman of the AB Party, Shahidullah Kaiser of Nagorik Oikya, Nurul Haque of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, Redwan Ahmed of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Ahmad Abdul Kader of Khelafat Majlish, Saiful Haque of the Revolutionary Workers Party, Tania Rob of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Shahadat Hossain Selim of the 12-Party Alliance, Bazlur Rashid Firoz of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), Ruhin Hossain Prince of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), and Mizanur Rahman of Gono Forum.

Addressing the leaders, Chief Adviser Yunus said, "As we approach the first anniversary of the July uprising, we had planned to commemorate the event with all political parties in unity - to remember the past together. This would have been a visible symbol of our shared resistance to fascism. But signs of conspiracy from the defeated forces have begun to surface even before the year has ended."

Summing up the salient features of the discussions, the CA press wing said, "All participating political parties expressed their full support for sustaining political and public unity against fascism. They urged the Chief Adviser to take a firmer stance on maintaining law and order across the country.

"The party leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing reform process, judicial restructuring, and a fair electoral roadmap."

Furthermore, they proposed that the interim government organise regular all-party conferences in the lead-up to the next polls to strengthen collective resistance against anti-democratic forces and to ensure transparency in the democratic transition.

The meeting concluded on a note of mutual understanding and political resolve to safeguard the country's democratic future through unity, reform and vigilance.

Earlier on Tuesday night, the CA had a conclave with leaders of four major political parties of the country-incidentally amid exigencies stemming from the terrible jet crash into Milestone school and college. They urged the government to take a stronger stance on maintaining law and order.

BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Jamaat-e-Islami's Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Assistant Secretary-General Hamidur Rahman Azad, Islami Andolan Bangladesh's Presidium Member Ashraf Ali Akon and Joint Secretary-General Gazi Ataur Rahman, and National Citizens' Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam and Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain attended the meeting.

The meeting over, Law Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul briefed journalists at 11pm. Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was also present.

Asif Nazrul said the political parties raised two main points during the meeting. First, they emphasised the need for the government to take a firmer approach to law and order. They also acknowledged that there have been certain shortcomings in the government's handling of security.

Additionally, the BNP representatives stressed that the government should proceed fairly with the electoral process.

According to multiple sources present at the meeting, the discussions covered recent violence in Gopalganj, student protests and vandalism at the Secretariat on Tuesday, and demonstrations at Milestone College, among other law-and- order concerns.

"All party representatives agreed that the government's response has been weak, meeting sources said, adding that the leaders called for stronger action and urged identification of intelligence failures and reactivation of law-enforcement agencies," said Prof Asif, who, along with another adviser, earlier Tuesday got hemmed in the Milestone building amid student agitations over the accident and its handling.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com