'Democratic Rights Committee' formed with representatives from diverse professions

A Democratic Rights Committee has been formed, consisting of over a hundred professionals from various fields, including teachers, students, writers, journalists, artists, lawyers, and doctors. The committee's mission is to oppose any efforts to undermine democratic rights and freedom of expression.

The committee was formed under the leadership of Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury during a meeting at Dhaka University's TSC cafeteria on Thursday (August 22).

The formation of the committee was announced in a press release signed by Samina Luthfa Nitra, the committee's joint convener, on Friday (August 23).

The press release stated that this platform will advocate for a wide range of democratic demands, including safeguarding the democratic rights and freedom of expression for all citizens, both in the hills and plains, repealing repressive and anti-people laws, ensuring judicial independence, protecting the rights of workers and farmers, and promoting democratic, occupation-free campuses.

The Committee on Democratic Rights states that fascism resurfaces after every mass uprising, undoing the achievements gained at the cost of human lives. They emphasize that this uprising must not be allowed to fail.

The committee's joint conveners include Prof. Haroon-ur-Rashid, Abdullah Kafi Roton, Prof. Tanzimuddin Khan, Seema Dutt, Maha Mirza, and Kallol Mustafa.

The newly formed committee features a broad range of distinguished members, including Prof. Anu Muhammad, Prof. Salimullah Khan, Prof. Akmal Hussain, Prof. Mamun Al Rashid, and Prof. Mohammad Azam. It also includes Moshahida Sultana Ritu, Snigdha Rezwana, journalist Abu Saeed Khan, Ashraf Kaiser, Bidhan Riberu, Anis Raihan, and Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed. The committee is further supported by ASM Kamal Uddin, Afzalur Basar, Mazharul Islam Babla, and lawyers Jyotirmoy Barua and Manzoor Al Mateen. Other notable members are 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, and filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury. Additionally, the group includes Qamar Ahmad Simon, Professor Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Joydeep Bhattacharya, Nasimul Khabir Duke, Taslima Akhtar Lima, Jolly Talukder, Amena Khatun, Sunayan Chakma, Haroon-or-Rashid Bhuiyan, Manas Nandi, Shamim Imam, Satyajit Biswas, Baki Billah, Iqbal Kabir, Afzal Hossain, Rashed Shahriar, Ragib Naeem, Salman Siddiqui, Dilip Roy, Saikat Arif, Syedul Haque Nishan, Rakhan Chakma, and Taufika Priya.