Pointing at the remark of Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy that he be tried for ‘treason’, Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday said he does not care about the threat of any sedition charge. “I don’t care about the threat of any sedition charge…I have to hear the threat in 2015. It’s disgraceful for me, the country and the person who uttered such words,” he told a meeting of Gano Forum at the party’s central office in the city’s Arambagh area. Recalling that that he faced sedition charges in the past, the eminent jurist said, “Pakistan tried me on sedition charges, BNP also brought the charge in 2007… Ershad also wanted to do.” As per media reports, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Thursday in his official Facebook page wanted that Dr Kamal Hossain, Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam and Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna be arrested and tried for ‘treason’. Pointing at Joy, Dr Kamal said he made childish comment without knowing things properly. “It’s not decent for the person like him to make such remarks… No one could have thought that he could make such remarks. It’s unfortunate for us.” Replying to a query, Gano Forum President denied his involvement with Mahmudur Rahman Manna in anti-government conspiracy saying that he knew nothing about that. “I was not in the country. When I returned home, he (Manna) came to me and asked to attend the procession, but I replied him that some things will have to be clarified first,” Dr Kamal said. Saying that the telephone conversations between Manna and BNP Vice Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka should be investigated, “It must be investigated… we know nothing about it. I am a jurist. I got surprised hearing such things. We’re far away from such politics.” Manna is now on a 10-day police remand on sedition charges over involvement in provoking the armed forces to topple the government. Demanding a dialogue and a unity among all stakeholders for resolving the current political standoff, he said there is no alternative to dialogue. “We’re asking for a dialogue and a unity. If there is no dialogue, what will be the alternative? There must be negotiations among all not only between the two parties (Awami League and BNP),” Dr Kamal said. He claimed that his party has been pursuing a process for unity since 2005 for facing national challenges. Refuting the allegation that Dr Kamal urges for dialogue but never goes to hospital to visit burn patients, he said, “I went to hospital within a day or two. But I get shocked when it is said I don’t go to hospital. We didn’t take photographs. But, it was a mistake. We should have taken photographs and given those to newspapers,” he added. — Dhaka, Feb 27 (UNB)
