'We should withdraw from running the state by lying': Dr. Iftekharuzzaman
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Dr. Iftekharuzzaman/Photo: Collected
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, all law enforcement agencies including DB have resorted to lying and cheating. Every force has fooled the people in every matter. They have forgotten that they have fooled themselves with every word. We must withdraw from running the government and running the state by lying. The countrymen have understood the lies.
He said this in a human chain organized in front of DMP's Detective office at 3 pm on Thursday (August 1).
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, we are speaking today in front of an organization that is working in the name of state institutions under government control starting from the highest level of the government and standing above unaccountable power. Together with that organization, they lived in a free country and repressed the power of the student society and masses and, like them, invincible forces. It violated the Constitution and the law by resorting to stupidity and falsehood.
He said, they talk about national and international professional excellence. They tried to cheat us by going beyond professional training. I would say that the fact that they were able to do this created a sense among them, not just about arresting these six. The main thing that has created the overall situation is that they themselves have created ideas in a long process.
If so, why are you lying? Turn off you say, I shot students indiscriminately, detained them indiscriminately. I have arbitrarily wronged many people, students and teachers across the country, deprived them of their rights. The demand of the students is completely logical and moral which is also announced by the government. They were indiscriminately tortured in that movement. And for that they have mobilized their sponsored organizations and student organizations (Chhatra League).
Economist and public policy analyst Devapriya Bhattacharya, honorary fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said the ultimatum was given to the organizers of the anti-discrimination movement without trial. They were detained without trial. It was said that if the court said that it would be released later, it was an unfortunate situation. We have heard that the coordinators of the quota reform movement have let go. We are happy that they have been released. But we are not satisfied that many students, teachers and general public are still stuck without trial. We are happy but not satisfied.
He said that within the next 24 hours, all those who are detained in Dhaka and outside Dhaka should be released without trial without any legal measures. This is our main demand. The second demand is that innocent people of the country have died in this movement so far, all of them should be tried. International organizations like the United Nations should be involved in this trial. Schools and colleges should be opened; law enforcement personnel should be removed from there. The Internet should be a free and healthy system in the country.
Debapriya Bhattacharya said, you have said that the image of the country has been damaged as a result of this incident. The image of the country has not been damaged. The image of the government has been damaged. Guns bought with tax money. Bullets bought with tax money. Bengalis are not free to kill people with bullets and guns bought with my tax money. This is not acceptable under any circumstances.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and Supreme Court lawyer, said, "Do you feel safe when you are with DB?" Actually give us the definition of security? We will give the constitution! What is the legal definition of student detention? Where is the power to detain students? Which law of the constitution is supposed to be held?
She said, I heard that six coordinators were let go before we came here. We still don't know if they have gone to the family. The six coordinators who have been let go can work in a free environment. Do not keep anyone guarding their house.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, they will pick us up whenever they want, detain us as long as they want, feed us noodles, fry us, eat bread and give them to newspapers and magazines. Whose money do they feed? We the people never want to face law enforcement. If we need security, we will come to you. You have not been given the legal power to bring us out of our homes.
We want law enforcement that listens to us. You will be Bangladesh Police. Do not be Awami League police, BNP police, Jatiya Party police. That's what we want.
We are still not happy that six coordinators have been let go. We will be happy only when you release all the students. Still we can't be happy because there is no atmosphere to be happy. This wound that has taken the lives of so many children will never heal. You will not detain any other students. Don't fire any more bullets into the chest of students. Release all students immediately.
Honorary Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Professor Dr. Mostafizur Rahman, the late Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury's wife Shireen Haque, executive director of the non-governmental organization Association for Land Reform in Bangladesh (ALRD) Shamsul Huda, professor of mass communication and journalism department of Dhaka University Geeti Ara Nasreen, Dhaka University Law Department Professor Asif Nazrul, Samina Lutfa, Associate Professor of Geology Department, Mirza Taslima Sultana, Professor and Head of Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University, Rushad Faridi, Teacher of Economics Department, Dhaka University, Farida Akhtar, Executive Director of Government Organization UBINEG (Policy Determining Research on Development Options), Organizing Secretary of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Goshti, Arif Noor, member Rumi Prabha were also present.