Political parties must unite to fight militancy: Dr Kamal

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain believes that the unity of political parties at the national level is necessary to save the country and future generations from the crisis of militancy and terrorism. He observed that there cannot be any agreement with the Jamaat-e-Islami as that party is yet to clear its stance on the role it played during the War of Independence in 1971.
Kamal Hossain, who is also the president of Gono Forum party, said, "Jamaat hasn`t apologised for its role in the War of Independence. I think there can`t be any national unity with this party."
About the unity of the ruling party Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the jurist said nothing can be said right now since the BNP is yet to clear its stance on its ties with the Jamaat. “If the BNP says it tied up with Jamaat only for votes and that it made a mistake, and if people are convinced with the answer, it can be considered,” he added.
Kamal Hossain also said that national unity should be cordial and on the basis of values. “Unity shouldn`t be forged only to seize power or to stay in power. If any party thinks in that way, there can`t be any unity. Those who kill people to come to power or to cling on to it, there can`t be any unity. It`s sick politics,” he added.
Whether there was any necessity of unity between the AL and the BNP, the jurist said, “I don’t want to raise a controversy over this. We need the unity of people in the truest sense, not the unity of parties to gain benefits.”
The veteran lawyer said he has been trying to forge national unity since 2005 but without much success. However, he is not yet disappointed as there is much evidence of national unity in the history of Bangladesh. “The demand for unity has to come from the people. But the people are being misguided by some quarters with a false sense of unity. I don’t think the people will not understand the value of unity because we`ve got results in this regard the past,” he said.
“We`ve a history of various successful unities in the past. We were united in the 1950s for language, in the ’60s against oppression, and in the ’80s to restore democracy. We need such unity from the core of the heart,” he reminded.
Disappointed with the rift among different professional bodies, Kamal Hossain said, “We`ve seen the unity of professional bodies, such as lawyers, for the sake of national unity in the past. But we don`t see it anymore.” He said the unity of professional bodies like lawyers, journalists, and the youth was necessary to curb militancy.
About the recent killings, Kamal Hossain said, “These are not being perpetrated by any party. We`ve to understand this. We`ve to find out the backbone of such power. We need to investigate the funds and arms sources, and the political patronisation.”
Asked about the possible solution to the current situation of killings, the jurist said, “Such incidents affect the entire country and society. We`ve to take several steps. No one should be blamed without investigation. A thorough probe is necessary to find out the real cause of such incidents.”
He also suggested the formation of a committee at the highest level to investigate the killings without a bias. “We should remember that terrorism is harmful to all. It affects the young and the old, the poor and the rich alike. No one will escape its fold unless proper steps are taken”.
He reminded that the steps should not be based on political interests, but rather to combat terrorism as a national duty.