Politicians, professionals and journalists on Sunday at a discussion in Dhaka stressed that the rulers of the country must uphold the spirit of the War of Independence.

The rulers must uphold the spirit of the July uprising, but should not ignore the ideals of the war of liberation, they said.

Bangladesh Jasod organised the discussion at the National Press Club to mark Six-Point Day with where party president Sharif Nurul Ambia in chair.

Ambia said, ‘We must maintain the spirit of July uprising for establishing a discrimination-free democratic country but at the same time we must not ignore the ideals of the war of liberation.’

He further said that the nation must also recognise the people, including the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who played role in the 1971 independence war.

Senior journalist and editor of news portal ‘Charcha’ Sohrab Hasan remarked that it was unfortunate that the pro-liberation political forces failed to remain united, while the exactly opposite happened to the anti-liberation forces that forged unity among them.

That led to the rise of anti-liberation political forces in the country, he stated.

Journalist Abu Sayeed Khan called on all the left and democratic political forces to become united for restoration of the spirit of the War of Independence.

Lawyer Manzill Murshid, Bangladesh Jasod general secretary Nazmul Haque Prodhan, standing committee member Mushtuq Husain, central leader Karim Sikder, and labour leader Abdul Kader Hawlader, among others, spoke at the event.