In the
beginning of my statement I remember Shahid Janani with immense gratitude.
The movement she started years ago did not reach its successful end. It was
not her failure; it is ours that we could not continue the movement with
momentum. My sorrow that lies in the fact that the great rajakar Golum Azam
smile with open teeth even today, he enjoys participating in the invitation
offered in the embassies.
Dr. MA
Hasan delivered toady the memorial lecture. In here he discussed in detail
the complicated process involved in trials associated with genocide. On the
one hand he drew our attention as well as that of government of the
problems, he also discussed the ways to overcome those problems fairly in
details. You have heard him, so it is no point of repeating. But the point
Dr. Hasan stressed is the importance of collecting evidence of genocide, if
we want to hold trial at the national or international level. Unfortunately,
no government took the matter with due importance. As a result many
important documents or evidence were lost, many died in the meanwhile who
could have been important witnesses. Whatever evidence has been collected it
has been done by the private organizations or individuals. Many of you
probably do not know that Dr. Hasan has been devoting himself in this work
for the last few years silently. I believe that once a trial is initiated
against these war criminals these documents of his would be of immense
value. Please come on and give him a loud applause through clapping.
Mr.
President,
For
making significant contribution in the movement for establishing humanism in
recognition of which it has been decided to award Jahanara Imam Memorial
Medal 2007, and I am invited to receive the award on behalf the
Muktomona. It is a great honour in deed for the members of the Muktomona
and for me too. I am greatly elevated. On behalf of myself and the Muktomona
we thank you respected president, and express our gratitude. We do not know
if we are worthy of receiving such an honour which is associated with a
great lady of our time, but this recognition inspire us immensely. With due
solemnity and humbleness I on behalf of thousands of members and
well-wishers of Muktomona am receiving the great honour. Mr. President thank
you very much.
Let me
take this opportunity to introduce little activities of Muktomona to those
who perhaps do not know much about us.
Activities of Muktomona
Established on May 25,
2001
The Founding Members:
30 members, mainly of expatriate Bengalis of Bangladesh
Founding Moderator:
Avijit Roy
Present status: An
international platform with members from India, Pakistan, Nepal, England,
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Singapore, USA, UK,
Canada, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka .. covering the entire world,
truly an international internet based organization.
The Editorial Board
and the Advisory Council: Avijit Roy, Jahed Ahmed, Mehul Kamder, Farid
Ahmed, Bonna Ahmed, Fatemolla, Dr. Jafar Ullah, Abul Kashem, Aparthiba,
Mahbub Sayeed, Ajoy Roy .. ..
Our Fight: Against narrowness,
superstitions, blind faith, fundamentalism bound with holy scripture and
communalism; for secularism, civil liberty, liberal democracy, ..
We are
the inheritor of the renaissance of Bengal of early twentieth century,
followers of thoughts and philosophy of Dirojio, holder of tradition of
Shikha Gosthi – ‘Where knowledge is restricted, where intellect is bound,
there could not be freedom’, We are the soldiers of ideals of Aroj Ali
Matubbar, We are committed to follow the paths of Begum Rokeya, Lila Roy,
Phularanu Guha, Sufia Kamal, Jahanara Imam, …
We not only put
forward arguments against fundamentalism, we fight for establishing
humanity: (just a few examples)
In order to save humanity against blasphemy we started worldwide
movement to save the life of prisoner of the free thinker Dr. Yunus
Sheikh. Our active co fighters were: IHEU, Rationalist International,
Amnesty International, Dhaka Rationalist and Secularist Union and the
‘Save Dr. Yunus Shaikh Committee’ organized by Dhaka based members of
Muktomona under the leadership Professor Ajoy Roy, who day after day
make movements at the street, held meetings, procession, seminars, road
side demonstration and staged demonstration against Pakistani president,
General Pervez Musharaff in front of the Pakistan High commission. Many
progressive people and intellectuals including Professor Kabir Choudhury
and Justice Sobhan took leading part in the movement. The success cane.
Dr. Sheikh was released from Pakistani jail. He is now in UK and since
then he is an active member of MM.
We build up movement in favour of Shariar Kabir for his release when he
was arrested by the Begum Khaleda-Nizami led BD government at the Dhaka
airport on the false charge of treason against the country. Herein also
we met with success as a result of combined movement of national and
international organizations and civil society.
We once again joined hands in making a wide spread movement in securing
release of Shariar Kabir (2nd time), Muntasir Mamun and host
of others including some journalists and human rights volunteers who
were persecuted by Bangladesh on false charges of terrorism, treason and
what not. Once again we met with success.
We almost single handedly organized a network based agitation in favour
of ‘Proshika’ in securing the release of its workers and employees
including the Proshika chief. In this movement we got the support of AI
and similar other organizations.
We always raise our voice very loudly against communal persecution, the
worst expression of communal fundamentalism.
In a similar way when the communal forces in 2001 let loose by the
Khaleda-Nizami by its persecution on minorities of Bangladesh such as
killings, lootings, setting of fire on houses and professional
establishments, destruction and violation of sanctity of places of
worships set historical example- we stood against the evil forces in
collaboration with country’s secular forces. Our founder adviser
Professor Ajoy Roy with local Muktomonas and intellectuals did build up
a strong movement against the evil forces of communalism and
fundamentalism under the banner ‘Committee for Preservation of Citizens’
Rights and Resistance to Communalism’. The Committee formed a ‘Public
Inquiry Commission’ with Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiq as its chairman,
which published its report in December 2002 that was immediately
publicized through out the world through our website
‘www.mukto-mona.com/human-rights/. A group of leading expatriate
intellectuals sent letters of protest to the then Prime minister Begum
Khaleda Zia and President Dr. Badruddoza Choudhury urging them to stop
this inhuman act of barbarism against the minorities. They expressed
their indignation against the communalists being nurtured by the
government. Muktomona made a signature campaign internationally
protesting the inaction on the part of the government and the protest
letter was sent to the PM and the President.
We do note make simply theoretical movement. We stand by the side of
oppressed humanity materially and physically too, wherever the
persecution takes place. We came forward on the side of persecuted
minority families of villages Annada Prasad and Fatemabad in Bhola and
took part in the programme of rehabilitation, initiated by our sister
organization ‘Drishtipat’. Under the programme we took up construction
of low cost houses for 100 displaced families, leasing of agricultural
lands to the needy and persecuted families, educational support to the
young boys and girls etc.. We came forward to stand on the side of
Purnima, Rita, Madhuri, Rajkumar babu, Narahari Kabiraj, John, Sitansu
Murmu, Fatema, Minati, ... how many names I would name, .. all of them
were the victims of the beastly oppression committed by the beasts in
human form.
We stood by the side of the family of journalist Manik Shaha when the
dedicated journalist fell victim to the terrorist force. We extended our
hand of co-operation to sustain the education of his two daughters. We
stood on the side of journalist Bibhuranjan Sarkar
We came forward to the side of humanist Shariar Kabir, Kazi Mukul and
their colleagues when they met a serious road accident with our very
little resource. We stood by the side of the family of Dr. Humayun Azad
at the time of the crisis. We helped to create a Humayun Aazd Foundation
initiated by his family.
On the bed of mighty river Brahamputra in a char island we reconstructed
a flood demolished lower secondary school. We took up the responsibility
of running the school with our small resources. We have undertaken to
construct a small construction in memory of the local martyrs in our
liberation war. In this connection we held a public meeting of the local
freedom fighters and in their presence a building slab was placed.
We appealed to Bangladesh caretaker government for prosecuting the
killers of Cholesh Richil and also made donation to help his
family members.
We condemned or made petitions against oppressions and persecutions
against minority Hindu, Quadiyani and other ethnic communities in
Bangladesh; targeted killings of minority Muslims in Gujarat, India,
oppressions of Palestinians and others. We made statements against the
infamous River Interlinking Project in India, protested against Kansat
killings, showed concern against the vandalism on renowned artist M F
Hussain’s Paintings, condemned Jamaat-Shibir's death threats to Zafar
Iqbal and Hasan Azizul Huq, appealed to save the honor of Valerie
Taylor, the founder of CRP or condemned angry attacks and fatwas
on Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasrin.
I
am not telling these to make our own publicity, but to introduce you with
the nature of our activities. Even though if it looks like self-publicity, I
seek your excuse with all humility. For establishing the values of humanity
and to oppose fundamentalism everywhere in the world standing on your side
Muktomona will continue its fight.
There is some minor error in the citation. Muktomona
came into existence in 2001, not in 2000. My contribution has been
unnecessarily highlighted for which I feel very embarrassed. Let me speak
out very clearly that main driving fore of Muktomona is a dedicated bunch of
freedom loving young people who believes in the movement of liberating
intellectualism, in cultivation of free intellectual pursuit, in Science
based conscience and in rationalism.
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen thank you once
again.
Read the speech in Bangla:
________
Prof. Ajoy K. Roy--a reputed scientist and human
rights activist from Bangladesh--is the member of Mukto-Mona advisory board.
He writes from Dhaka.
