Sammilita Sangskritik Jote organises a protest rally at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital yesterday demanding that the government ban Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir immediately.Photo: STAR

Socio-cultural activists and politicians yesterday demanded that the government ban Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir immediately to eliminate the anti-liberation forces from the country.
There is no alternative to defeating the anti-liberation forces, including Jamaat-Shibir, for the sake of protecting the spirit of the Liberation War, they told a protest rally at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, organised by Sammilita Sangskritik Jote.
The rally called on the people to rise against the destruction of Jamaat-Shibir, aimed at foiling the war crimes trial.
Sammilita Sangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu said the Liberation War broke out to establish democracy, humanity and non-communalism but Jamaat-Shibir was carrying out violence in an attempt to divide the country abusing religion.
“But we never did say any words against religion because we believe that all religions have equal rights in the state.” The freedom fighter said the ultimate attack on Jamaat-Shibir would have to be launched this March.
He said they would bring out a procession carrying flags from TSC of Dhaka University on March 4 to protest the Jamaat-Shibir terror and demand speeding up of the war crimes trial.
Cultural activist and lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor said the nation was in another Liberation War now, this time to free the country from razakar and achieve the real goals of independence.
Cultural personality Ramendra Majumder said Jamaat-Shibir unleashed havocs after the death sentence of Delawar Hossain Sayedee, while people were celebrating the verdict.
“The Jamaat-Shibir evil forces are trying to push the country towards communal riot. That's why they are attacking the minorities again,” he added. “For all these, we are demanding their ban.”
Acting president of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Shahriar Kabir said Jamaat-Shibir had declared a war against the state.
“For the last 21 years after the anti-war criminal movement was started by Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam, we have been trying to make the government understand that Jamaat-Shibir should be banned,” he said.
He said there was no need to formulate any new law to try Jamaat as an organisation for its involvement in war crimes, as there were clear provisions in the tribunal act, constitution and special power act, which were enough to ban the party.
Workers' Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon said Jamaat-Shibir dared to unleash terror as BNP was fully backing them. Criticising BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for supporting war criminals, he said BNP was now acting as an auxiliary force of Jamaat.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the nation's expectations from the government about the party of war criminals would be fulfilled.
Sector Commanders' Forum Chairman Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker, Communist Party of Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim, and Gono Oikya Convener Pankaj Bhattacharya also spoke on the occasion.