Eminent jurist and Gono Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain on Saturday bemoaned that efforts are there to cheaply use religion only for having votes.
“Mass killings were carried out while lakhs of people maimed and many women raped in the name of religion in 1971. Later, non-communalism was incorporated in the constitution to remove religion from politics, but now an evil attempt is there to use religion (in politics),” he said.
Speaking at a commemorative meeting, Dr Kamal also said a deliberate attempt was made to divide the country’s people over the installation of the statue of ‘lady justice’ on the Supreme Court premises. “I think division shouldn’t be created over any issue in the country.”
Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) arranged the programme marking the fifth death anniversary of Prof Muzaffar Ahmad at the Jatiya Press Club.
Dr Kamal said, it is necessary to recall the 1971 perspective to evaluate those who try to use religion for making political gains. “Those who truly believe in religion, never do politics using the religion. Were those who carried out genocide in 1971 in the name of Islam true Muslims?”
The statue of the lady justice made by sculptor Mrinal Haque was removed from the High Court premises early Friday, triggering widespread protests among the progressive section of society.
However, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, a Chittagong-based Islamist group, expressed satisfaction over the removal of the statue and placed their fresh demand for removing all the other statues from elsewhere across the country.
Sought his comment on the removal of the statue from the Supreme Court premises, the veteran lawyer said, “I don’t want to say anything about it right now. A conference of lawyers will be held soon where final decision will be taken about it.”
Dr Kamal also said those who think will be able to hang onto power by using money and muscle power actually live in fool’s paradise.
