Staff Reporter :As democracy remains absent, freedom of the expression is restricted and no trial of the offenders held, the religious fanatics are being encouraged to launch attacks on bloggers and others in the country, said political leaders and academics.Because of the government’s incapability to bring the real culprits to book, they said, the extremists have been able to kill at least a dozen of bloggers and religious leaders besides attacking and threatening with death many others for their progressive and secular views since 2013. They said even the law enforcement agencies have failed to adequately investigate the recent killings, some of which have happened with apparent blessings from international militant groups like al-Qaeda.The terrorists, they said, taking the advantage continued to launch clandestine attacks on the bloggers and manage a good escape after committing crimes like murder. So, none is safe here in the country, they added. Meanwhile, BNP Vice-Chairman Major (Retd) M Hafizuddin Ahmed on Sunday said as there is no existence of democracy in the country such brutal murders are taking place continuously. “As democracy remains absence and freedom of expression is restricted, the religious fanatics are being encouraged to launch such terror attack on the freethinkers,” he said. The BNP leader came up with the remarks after visiting slain publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan’s father Professor Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq at his residence in city. He demanded to form a judicial inquiry to investigate the gruesome murder and nab the killers. He also asked the government to improve the country’s overall law and order in a bid to protect people’s lives and properties. Hafiz said urged the government high ups to refrain from blaming others before investigation in connection with the latest murder. He said the government cannot deny the responsibility of the killing. “It is a long trend of not getting justice. It has now become a culture for injustice in the country. Instead of arresting the real culprits, the law enforcers launched crackdown against the democratic minded people. And thus manages the culprit to escape easily,” he said.”Right now the situation seems to be out of control. That is why a sense of insecurity is prevailing among people, specially the bloggersd and publishers,” said Dr. Serajul Islam Choudhury, Professor Emeritus of Dhaka University.Talking to The New Nation on Sunday, Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury and Giasuddin Mollah, President, Bangladesh Rastra Biggyan Samity and Professor of Political Science Department of Dhaka University have expressed their grave concern over the situation, saying country’s security is at stake. It is not merely a presumption but a fact that sabotage activities are taking place in every nook and corner of the country, added the educationist. Prof. Choudhury said, apart from home and office, daily travels are often filled with a sense of insecurity.”After killing the bloggers, the religious fanatics have now targeted the publishers. And they will start launching attack on the readers. It is a very bad sign for the country,” he said.Prof. Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq, father of slain Faisal Arefin Dipan of Jagriti Prokashani on Sunday said only the rule law could not stop such killings.”To get rid of this present crisis it needs political solution. If the situation is not resolved politically, trend of such clandestine attack will continue,” he told journalists after receiving his son’s body from DMCH. Soon after killing on Saturday he said, “I don’t want any trial. I want good sense to prevail. Both sides — the one doing politics using secularism and the other doing politics using religion — are pushing the country towards destruction.” Like Prof. Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq, Rafida Ahmed Bonya, wife of slain Avijit Roy, on Sunday in her blog said she does not want any trial. “Like Dipan’s father I don’t want any trial. I want good sense prevail upon all,” she wrote in her blog.”I’m sure wives of Dipan and Tutul, sister of Ananta, and friends of Razib, Niloy and Babu also don’t want trial,” she said.
