A section of the civil society has dropped Gana Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain and Nagarik Oikya’s Mahmudur Rahman Manna from a shortlist of citizens taking initiatives for a dialogue to end the current political crisis.
“They are not involved in the process. The question of keeping them on board or keeping them out does not arise,” said a member after a meeting at an office of a former advisor to a caretaker government at Mohakhali on Thursday.
The faction of the civil society, concerned about the situation in Bangladesh, will clear its stance in a press conference at 11am on Friday.
Dr Kamal Hossain headed a roundtable on the process of ‘national dialogue’ last Saturday but was dropped along with Manna after criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Both are former Awami League leaders.
Former Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, former comptroller and auditor General Hafizuddin Khan, former advisor to the caretaker government Akbar Ali Khan, Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, and columnist Syed Abul Maksud were seen leaving the office of the Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (BFWE) at Red Crescent Concord Tower in Mohakhali in the evening.
A BFWE official said its President Rokia Afzal Rahman was not present in the meeting.
Rokia, a former advisor to the caretaker government, is a director of Media Star that owns Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo and chairperson of Media World that owns English daily The Daily Star. She is a director of ABC Radio too.
Leaders and supporters of ruling Awami League frequently blame these newspapers for their alleged bid to pave way for unconstitutional governments.
The dailies allegedly had played a vital role in constitution of the military-backed caretaker government in 2007-2008.
One of those who attended the meeting at Mohakhali, said: “Dr Kamal, Manna were included in the shortlist previously. They won’t be here (the platform) in the future. They are not in this.
“This is an initiative by nonpartisan senior citizens,” he said.
Former CEC Huda wrote an open letter to President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last Monday to take steps for the national dialogue.
The former CEC said, “We’ll hold a press conference tomorrow (Friday) to announce our guideline and goal. We will answer all questions.”
The faction will also throw light on Kamal, Manna, he added.
Sujan’s Majumder said Thursday’s meeting was held to arrange the press conference where the society would officially be launched.
“We have not taken the initiative for personal purpose. Our initiative has created much hope among people.
“Those of us who are here are all senior citizens. We have some responsibilities toward society. We have talked about [resolving] the crisis.”
About Dr Kamal and Manna’s relevance, he said, “The citizens’ representatives will be nonpartisan to the highest degree.”
Majumder said the number of ‘concerned citizens’ in the civil society platform – likely to have 10-15 members initially – would increase slowly.
In the roundtable on Saturday, Manna read out a written statement. Hafizuddin and Huda presided over the two sessions of the discussion.
Apart from Dr Kamal, lawyer Shahdeen Malik, former advisors to the caretaker government Akbar Ali and Rasheda K Chowdhury, former Bangladesh Bank governor Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Majumder, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Secretary General Abdul Mannan and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rob attended the roundtable.
Awami League Joint General Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif criticised their effort the following day.
The platform of citizens wrote the open letter on Monday.
Dr Kamal on the same day termed the critics of the civil society ‘mentally ill’.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed tagged the dialogue process ‘unrealistic and unacceptable’.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Parliament Dr Kamal and Manna’s wish would not come true.
Source: bdnews24
