Staff Reporter:
Home Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain yesterday urged the political parties to take steps to prevent scattered violence including incidents like attack on minority communities.
He made the remarks while talking to newsmen at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after visiting An-sar members who are being treated there with injuries they suffered during the student protests.
The adviser also asked those who possessed weapons illegally to submit those to police stations setting a seven-day deadline warning that otherwise they would face two charges one for holding weapons illegal-ly and the second one is possessing the weapons which are illegal.
“The (looted) rifles must be returned in seven days, by Monday next,” he said adding that even 7.62 mm rifles used by military were gone to civilian hands.
He said that Awami League (AL) should focus on reorganizing the party understanding the people’s sen-timent instead of causing any fresh bloodbath.
“Let the people gather, and whatever you do, I request you, don’t do anything that endangers your (Awami League) lives. The people of the country are prepared yet to accept you,” he said.
The adviser added he believed Awami League should rather re-organize the party and “take part elections when election would come and go to power if the people vote for you”.
Sakhawat said nobody could deny Awami League’s contribution to Bangladesh but questioned how it could “handover the country to someone else”.
“We fought for the Liberation War, (when) 3 million people gave their lives, standing on those 3 million people, you will hand over the country to another person? People of this country have not forgotten so quickly,” he said.
Sakhawat said “the leaders you had made are on the run, those who are being caught (by angry people), we cannot save them. Don’t we know many people have saved many of your leaders?”
The adviser cautioned Awami League against inviting fights saying “we don’t the deaths some more people”.
“So far, 500 or more people have lost their lives . . . police is exposed to (current) such a situation, the ansar members are exposed to such a situation,” Sakhawat said.
The adviser said the leaders of the ousted regime could not have survived if instigations were made while “we prevented the army telling them who you will kill?”
“(But) whom you have killed using the police? You have killed your children,” he said recalling a po-liceman saying his son died in police firing.
“I’m requesting you not to provoke fresh fights . . . you should not spoil such a great party for personal interest. It (Awami League) is our pride. No one has the right to spoil it.”
Sakhawat said a “counter revolution requires bloods of thousands of people and if you think you will come to power through a counter revolution, the responsibility is yours, I have nothing to do”.
He said the young generation of the country just staged a revolution this time giving their lives, “which you could never have given”.
“The stood to receive police shots and they have no regret . . . they will face (again) the counter-revolutionaries,” Sakhwat said.
Referring to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said “you can return since it is your country as your citizenship has not gone. You have voluntarily and nobody had asked you to do so”.
“You are voluntarily staying (where you are). Stay well. Come back again. We respect you . . . but cre-ating trouble you will not gain any benefit, rather it will made people angry again,” he said.
The adviser referred Awami League to the example of Jatiya Party saying it was saved as the party’s leader ousted President HM Ershad went to jail.
He said no ban was slapped on Awami League and “banning any party is a bad culture”.
Sakhawat advised Awami League to reorganize the party with new faces and new promises as it has good leaders as well.
He said in pre-indepdence period Awami League emerged as a “middle-class secular party” to face the elitist Muslim League and the leader of such a great people’s party Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rah-man made this country independent.
“There is no doubt about it. None should have doubts. Liberation war was fought in his name, freedom was achieved. The party will collapse in such a way that leaders and workers have to hide!”
He urged the political parties to take steps to prevent scattered violence including incidents like attack on minority communities.
The adviser also asked those who possessed weapons illegally to submit those to police stations setting a seven-day deadline warning that otherwise they would face two charges one for holding weapons illegal-ly and the second one is possessing the weapons which are illegal.
“The (looted) rifles must be returned in seven days, by Monday next,” he said adding that even 7.62 mm rifles used by military were gone to civilian hands.
The home affairs advisor also sought to correct a comment he made yesterday seeking to ban the media engaged in sycophancy saying he was “sorry about that. I said out of anger that if you flatter again I will stop. It’s not my job”.
The adviser said the policemen now realized them about their actions and therefore they now wanted to get their attire changed.
“They did not want to do what they did . . . it was get done by them (police,” he said.
