Call for taking democratic path shunning violence

Speakers at a discussion Saturday urged the country's political parties to take the path of peaceful democracy, shunning violence, report agencies.
Sammilita Samajik Andolan arranged the discussion at the Liberation War Museum auditorium in the city.
The speakers also urged the political parties to resolve the ongoing problems immediately for the sake of the country's people.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Syed Anwar Husain of Dhaka University said the killing of people and unleashing of violence in the name of politics were nothing, but evil politics.
Observing that a political vacuum had been created in the country, he blamed both the government and the opposition for it. "Both the parties must come out of violence," he said.
Syed Anwar Husain also urged all the left-leaning parties to be united to emerge as the third force to resolve the country's problems.
Sammilita Samajik Andolan president Ajoy Roy underscored the need for a dialogue among the major political parties to resolve the problems.
Civil society leaders said there can be no democracy with Jamaat in tow. Ajoy Roy who presided over the discussion called for an end to communal politics and advised all secular forces to get united by February 21.
Another speaker, Prof Anwar Hossain said only those who believe in the sovereignty of the country should be allowed to engage in politics. Mr Hossain urged the government to publish a 'whitepaper' on the arson surrounding the January 5 (2014) election.
Journalist Abed Khan said (Pakistan's) ISI had built up a circle in Bangladesh that was engaged in international terrorism, particularly in the Far East.