Staff Reporter :Speakers at a dialogue on Wednesday observed that the nation is yet to bear the fruits of the independence due to lack of democratic practices among the political parties, bad governance and corruption.”We won liberation war but lost democratic leadership. The people suffered and made supreme sacrifices bravely but helplessly in the hope of living with dignity of democratic rights in free Bangladesh. We must fight our own fight under our own leadership to make independence meaningful,” said former adviser of a caretaker government Barrister Mainul Hosein while speaking at the function. He added: The people are not getting Bangladesh of their dream. We need new leadership – honest, able and responsible that knows how to build a democratic Bangladesh. Emotionalism is not leadership. Our younger generation must not accept being brainwashed by failed politics. All public officials at every level including police must remain conscious of their dignity and responsibility. Nobody is party workers of any political party, he said. Barrister Mainul Hosein commented that glory of the liberation war does not lie in the war but in realizing its glorious purpose. Those who are killing democracy are not helping the cause of liberation war.The Youth Movement for Democracy, a BNP back youth forum, arranged the dialogue titled “71 in the eyes of youth and the future of upcoming Bangladesh” held in BRAC Centre Inn in the city on Wednesday. The eminent freedom fighter and the President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) ASM Abdur Rab moderated the programme while the forum’s Convener Shama Obayed presided over it. Rab said that the country still could not achieve the victory as the whole nation may not enjoy their fundamental rights, including voting right. But the country got the freedom geographically and politically.”Every government misguided the history of the independence of the country for their own interest after the Liberation War since 1971,” he alleged.We achieved the independence of the country by own efforts, not through help of foreign countries, he claimed. BNP Vice-Chairman Major (retd) M Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, said that the most of country’s politicians do their politics only for their own interest. He claimed that the country is flooded with the fake freedom fighters.Shama Obayed in her concluding remark called upon the young generation of the country to take the lead of nation building by upholding spirit of the Liberation War. Zafrullah Chowdhury, founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Apel Mhamud, founder of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in 1971, women rights activist Farida Akhter and Bikolpodhara Secratary General Mahi B Chowdhury, were among others, who spoke, at the function.
