Bangladesh: National consensus to ban Jamaat-e-Islami

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A national consensus is needed to ban the politics of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, said Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif on Tuesday. He said due to BNP's utter support towards Jamaat, the government is unable to put an immediate ban on its politics. “If people of the country are united against the politics of Jamaat and demand it’s banning, the government will response positively,” said Hanif, also a special assistant to the prime minister. Despite the intention of BNP and Jamaat of foiling the trial of war criminals, the present government will complete the trial on the soil of Bangladesh at any cost, said the ruling party leader.He urged the pro-liberation, secular, democratic forces and other like-minded organisations to march forward together to abolish the politics of such fundamentalists. He expressed resentment over the poor security measures around Bangladesh Secretariat as the Shibir men went berserk on Monday. He said it caused due to the irresponsibility of law enforces on duty. "This time law enforces showed enough patience to control the situation. But it will not be followed further," added Hanif as he was warning the disrupters of Jamaat-Shibir. The AL leader was speaking to reporters at a press briefing day after the mayhem of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir in the capital. AL leaders Ahmed Hossain, BM Mozammel Haque, Mrinal Kanti Das, Faridun Nahar Laily, among others, were present at the press briefing held at the AL president's Dhanmondi office in the capital.