Staff Correspondent
A number of noted personalities on Tuesday urged the government to employ the highest authority of the state under the constitutional provision to thwart violence in order to protect lives and property of the people.
They also urged the parties to stop killing people in the name of blockade in the country.
They made the appeals
at a human chain formed under the auspices of the "Bangladesh Fight Back", a platform of the distinguished personalities, in front of the National Museum in the city.
Human rights activist and former adviser to a caretaker government Advocate Sultana Kamal, former adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury, journalist Abed Khan, Prof Syed Anwar Hossain, cultural activist Ramendu Majumder and journalist Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul joined the human chain with Prof Anisuzzaman leading it.
  Prof Anisuzzaman said that all rights of the people are now trampled. "We urge both the government and the opposition parties to ensure rights of the people as envisaged in the Constitution."
No goal could be achieved by nharassing the people. It is not possible to uphold democracy by shunning the path of democratic process, he observed. Today women, children and all others are victim to continuous assaults and attacks, he said.
Referring to the anti-government movement of Khaleda Zia, Advocate Sultana Kamal questioned, "Who this blockade for?"
Rasheda K Chowdhury said, "We want guarantee for normal life and normal death."
Abed Khan said, "In the name of movement, please do not create a ground for the militants in the country."
Bulbul said violence cannot be an alternative to politics. Politics needs to be faced with politics.