Civic platform launched to protect rights, free speech

A platform named Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee (Democratic Rights Committee) was launched yesterday with the aim to resist any actions that infringe on democratic rights and freedom of expression.
The committee comprises more than 100 people, including teachers, students, writers, journalists, artists, lawyers, doctors, and others from different professions.
Emeritus Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury was made the convener of the committee, formed at a meeting at the Dhaka University’s TSC Cafeteria last night, according to a press release signed by DU Sociology teacher Samina Luthfa.
Samina is also a joint convener of the platform.
“The committee will work on ensuring the democratic rights and freedom of expression of all citizens in the hills and plains, abolishing the repressive and anti-people laws, ensuring the independence of the judiciary, protecting the rights of workers and farmers, and ensuring democratic campus free of occupation,” reads the press release.
After every mass uprising, it was seen that fascism was reestablished and all the achievements made at the cost of human lives were in vain, it said.
“This mass uprising cannot be allowed to fail. So, a unified platform comprising all forces that took part in democratic movements is necessary. That is why this committee has been formed.”
The joint conveners of the committee are Prof Haroon-ur-Rashid, Abdullah Kafi Ratan, Prof Tanjimuddin Khan, Seema Dutt, Maha Mirza and Kallol Mustafa.
The committee members include Prof Anu Muhammad, Prof Salimullah Khan, Prof Akmal Hossain, Prof Mamun Al Rashid, Prof Mohammad Azam, Moshahida Sultana Ritu, Snigdha Rezwana, journalist Abu Saeed Khan, Ashraf Qaiser, Bidhan Riberu, Anis Raihan, Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed, ASM Kamal Uddin, Afzalur Basar, Mazharul Islam Babla, lawyers Jyotirmoy Barua and Manzoor Al Mateen, writer and artist Mostafa Zaman, artist Arup Rahi, Mofizur Rahman Laltu, Bithi Ghosh, Sushmita Roy Supti, Azimun Nuzhat Manisha, Omar Tarek Chowdhury, Jamshed Anwar Tapan, film producers Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and Kamar Ahmad Simon, Prof Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Baki Billah, Joydeep Bhattacharya, Nasimul Khabir Deik, Taslima Akhtar Lima, Jolly Talukder, Amena Khatun, Sunayan Chakma, Haroon-or-Rashid Bhuiyan, Manas Nandi, Shamim Imam, Satyajit Biswas, Iqbal Kabir, Afzal Hossain and Rashed Shahriar.