S M Mizanur Rahman :
In view of the, deadly terror attacks in Dhaka and Sholakia of Kishoreganj district, country’s political parties, specially Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have come forward to find a way out to fight against militancy and extremism.
In this regard, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has framed strategies and plans to forge a national consensus. She also plans to give a formula to fight against militancy and extremism.
Senior leaders of the party said that they are always ready to cooperate with the government. As per Khaleda Zia’s plan, some senior leaders of the party have already started ground work.
Except ruling Awami League-led 14-party and BNP-led 20-party alliances, they have already talked to the leaders of other like-minded political parties.
Apart from the BNP, Jatiya Party (Ershad) has also urged the government to take an initiative for forging a national unity to eliminate militancy and terrorism from the country with united efforts.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday called upon BNP to join social movement in a bid to fight against the militancy.
“BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has developed a strategic plan to forge a national unity in combating militancy and extremism from the country. And she will give an outline before the nation in this regard that how and in what way we can defeat terrors and militants,” said BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman.
Talking to The New Nation on Wednesday, he said, as the extremism has appeared in the country as a major problem, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is again going to call upon the government to take an initiative with all irrespective of party and opinion to face the crisis.
“We think it’s now very crucial to garner a national unity with all concerned, including the political parties and conscious citizens. It is the government who has to take an initiative for that but it remains silence. Observing that the government has failed to suppress extremism and to respond to the other political parties call, BNP Chairperson has taken the initiative,” he said.
He added as part of the party’s move to unite people to resist militancy, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will sit in a meeting with intellectuals, journalists and eminent citizens tonight to discuss the country’s latest socio-political situation and seek their opinions to deal with it.
The meeting will be held at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office around 8:30pm. Issues relating to the country’s latest socio-political situation, law and order and recent terror attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia Eidgah may come up for discussion.
At the meeting, Khaleda Zia will seek opinions and guidelines from intellectuals and journalists. Later, she will instruct her party leaders and workers to work for uniting people from all walks of life to resist militancy and extremism, according to a party insider.
Before holding meeting with the intellectuals and journalists, Khaleda Zia on Wednesday night held meeting separately with the leaders of 20-party alliance and members of her party’s standing committee.
Meanwhile, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, another standing committee member of BNP on Wednesday said there is no alternative but to forge national unity to fight against the militancy and terrorism.
“But the government has rejected our party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s proposal. If good sense does not prevail upon the government, BNP along with people will take to the streets to defeat the militants and terrors from the country,” he said while addressing a discussion at National Press Club in city.
Earlier on July 3, Khaleda Zia held a meeting with her party’s standing committee members after two days of the country’s deadliest terrorist attack at a restaurant in upscale Gulshan.
After the meeting, she at a press conference called upon all, irrespective of party and opinion, to forge unity against terrorism to eliminate militancy from the country.
Twenty-two people, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian national and two police officials, were killed after terrorists attacked Holey Artisan Bakery at the city’s Gulshan diplomatic zone on July 1. Six attackers were shot dead during Army operation.
On July 7, terrorists also attacked a police check-post near Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj only minutes before the Eid prayers, killing two policemen and a housewife. Law enforcers also gunned down one of the attackers.
