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When secularism was adopted as the basic principle of the state, Bangabondhu said that it did not mean that religion was abandoned. Every citizen has the right of practicing and preaching religion in a suitable manner. Only the state and political would be separated from religion. In the constitution of 1972 formation of political parties on the basis of religion was prohibited because all types of killing people, raping, torture, plundering and ruthless massacre in ’71 were done in the name of Islam. Bangabondhu further said, for preserving the sanctity of religion politics and state must be kept at a safe distance from each other.
In the wake of 1975, military rulers and their associates obstructed our journey to secular democracy. In the name of Islam they suppressed their political opponents and free, rationalistic thinkers. With a heavy heart we noticed the alarming consequence of political use of religion from 2001 to 2006, when BNP and Jamat led four party alliance was running the government. Particularly during their regime of five years the way people of minority religion, ethnic minority, secular and democratic leaders and workers of the opposition parties, noble-hearted intellectuals, professionals and others were killed and oppressed that surpassed all the earlier ignoble records. During this period, killing in police custody and violation of human rights became a regular phenomenon.
In 1992 the community of conscious citizens of Bangladesh began an unprecedented movement demanding trial of war criminals and reinstatement of the secular democratic constitution of 1972. The movement of ‘Ekattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee’ (Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971), has made effort to establish equal rights of all people, irrespective of caste, religion, color, creed and gender. The movement for establishing a justice based society and state has revealed to the people the disguise and pretence of the fundamentalist and war criminals and has created considerable awareness for establishing a secular democratic society.
To demonstrate protest and disapproval against killing, oppression, massacre and human rights violation committed by the four party alliance government, people rejected them through the National Parliamentary Election held in December 2008. They cast vote for the grand alliance of secular, democratic and progressive principles and norms and more than three fourth of the parliamentary seats of legislature were won by the grand alliance in the election. One of the pre-election commitments of the grand alliance led by Sheikh Hasina was the trial of the war criminals of 1971, trial of the killers of Bangabondhu and his associates, resisting Islamic militancy and reinstatement of the constitution imbibed with the ideals of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
In January 2009 after assuming power the government of grand alliance accomplished the trial of the killers Bangabondhu and has begun the process of trial of the war criminals, and has also shown some success in reinstatement of the original constitution and in controlling Islamic militancy. However, terrorist religious fundamentalists and their patrons have also becoming active in fanning up conspiracy in multifarious form for thwarting the progress of Bangladesh and for stopping the trial of the war criminals. The statements maid by the Islamic militants arrested during last one year show that, the network of the terrorists exists not only in Bangladesh but also in areas across the border including neighboring countries of Asia and also in Africa, Europe and North America. The Islamic militants of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar are now united in South Asia and they are conducting terrorist activities which are known to all as their heinous activities have been made public through electronic and print media of this region.
If we want to liberate South Asia as well as the world from the frenzied attacks of Islamic militants; if we want to safeguard democracy, human rights, world peace and human civilization then the government and civil society have to fight jointly this ominous and unwanted force. The unity and coordination of the secular humanists and peace loving people of the world is important for containing the ever-increasing network of terrorists.
For coordination and for ensuring unity of principle and for formulating proper strategy we, under the banner of ‘Ekattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee’ (Forum for Secular Bangladesh) are planning to organized three day long National and International Conference in Dhaka scheduled on 18-20 June 2010. In this conference other than the delegates of ‘Ekattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee’ (Forum for Secular Bangladesh) of Bangladesh and abroad, like minded leaders of other social, cultural and political forums will be present. We shall invite speakers and guests to this conference from South Asia, Europe and North America who are Social Leaders, Human Rights Activists, and Legislators and who will give support to the movement against terrorism and religious fundamentalism by their valuable advice and opinion.
This conference will definitely inspire 1.6 billion people of South Asia to wage a movement for the formation of a secular and democratic society and state in Bangladesh as well as in other parts of the world.