AL, allies vow to root out extremism

Leaders and activists of the ruling alliance, socio-cultural organisations and professional bodies on Monday took a fresh vow to resist and root out extremism.
At an ‘anti-militancy’ rally at central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, they also vowed to forge unity to establish a peaceful Bangladesh.
They blamed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its ally the Jamaat-e-Islami for the recent extremist attacks in the country.
They said that the recent extremist attacks were the part of a local and international conspiracy hatched against Bangladesh for creating an unstable situation to take BNP and Jamaat to state power.
Leaders and activists of the ruling alliance and of different socio-cultural and professional organisations from different areas of Dhaka and its adjoining districts joined the rally amid tight security.
Most of the participants, however, left the venue before the rally ended at about 6:30pm.
Ruling alliance coordinator Mohammad Nasim, also Awami League presidium member, presiding over the rally, said that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia wanted to topple the government making extremists and using them for carrying out subversive activities.
He said that the ruling alliance would form ‘anti-terrorism’ citizen committee at each village and ward to identify people involved in extremist activities and to hand them over to the police.
Nasim, also the health minister, said that they would hold a parents and guardians rally on July 20 and a women rally on July 21 in Dhaka as part of their ongoing campaign against extremism.
He said that the ruling alliance leaders would visit across the country after the rallies to intensify the campaign.
AL presidium member Matia Chowdhury branded the BNP chairperson as an agent of Pakistan and said that Khaleda called for a national unity but Awami League never could forge a unity with an agent of Pakistan.
Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon smelled an international conspiracy against Bangladesh and said that the recent attacks were the part of it.
Indicating the United States he said that the country had no headache about the militant attacks inside its territory but it always wanted to poke its nose in the internal affairs of other countries.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Haq Inu said that those who carried out the attack in Gulshan and Sholakia could never be Muslims rather they were enemy of Muslims as they killed innocent people instead of saying prayers in the holy month of Ramadan.
Bangladesh Tariqat Federation president Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari demanded immediate arrest of Khaleda on charge of patronising ‘militantancy.’
Commuters experienced huge gridlock on some major thoroughfares including Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Shahbag to Naya Paltan, Elephant Road and New Market Road in the city from 1:00pm to 6:00pm due to the rally.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net