‘Dr Milon was a pioneer of the anti-authoritarian movement’
This was stated by the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal at a meeting convened for the 30th death anniversary of Dr Shamsul Alam Khan Milon
Dr Shamsul Haque Khan Milon's blood cannot have been spilled in vain as Milon was a pioneer of the anti-authoritarian movement; those who planned to assassinate him in 1990, have saved his killers, said Sharif Nurul Ambia, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD).
He said this at a meeting on the occasion of the 30th death anniversary of Dr Shamsul Haque Khan Milon, the then-joint general secretary of the Bangladesh Medical Association, in the auditorium of Maulana Akram Khan of the National Press Club on Friday.
The JSD president said, "We have to build the organisation with the principles and ideals of Dr Milon. We have to move thinking about the sovereignty of the country and the security of the common people. Dictators have never been able to survive in this country and will never be able to."
There is no ideal in politics in the country. Politicians all lean towards how to stay in power, to get to power, he added.
The government is compromising with the anti-independence communal group. When we look at the Muslim countries of the world, we see that sculptures are also the bearers and carriers of history and tradition. However, the country's fundamentalist groups have risen against sculptures, and the government is trying to reconcile with them, he said further.
JSD general secretary Nazmul Haque Pradhan, said, "Throughout the ages, such people have come about to create a movement among the people against dictators. Dr Milon is one of them. He is our inspiration, our political symbol."
Truth can never be defeated by untruth. Today, communal power is reawakening in Bangladesh. Today, social media, YouTube, is becoming a tool for communal forces, he added.
Sharif Nurul Ambia presided over the discussion while Dhaka Metropolitan President Alamgir Hossain, Standing Committee Member Md Khaled, Dhaka Metropolitan South Vice President ASM Ismail Chowdhury, National Workers Alliance President Abdul Quader Hawlader, former Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) vice-president Anwarul Islam, Standing Committee Member Nasirul Haque Nawab, and former Rajshahi University BCL president Karim Sikder spoke on the occasion, among others.
Dr Shamsul Alam Khan Milon was shot dead by terrorists supported by the then-government during the anti-dictatorship movement on 27 November, 1990. In memory of this tragic event, Shaheed Dr Day has been observed every year since 1991. Milon's death gave new impetus to the then anti-authoritarian movement and within a few weeks, the Ershad government fell.