They also called for greater national consensus in the form of joint action committee to combat communal repression and fundamental militancy, in the wake of recent incidents of Islamist militancy in Joypurhat and elsewhere.

"As the situation has turned out very critical, we cannot sit idle any longer," said Prof. Kabir Chowdhury who chaired the discussion.

"We should have taken a staunch position against the communalism and fundamental militants before they could have reached this extent with such gravity," he said referring to Joypurhat incident. "We must encounter the emergence of militant fundamentalism and communal repression without delay."

"Fundamental militants have nothing to do with Islam as a religion," CPB President Monzurul Ahsan Khan said. "Their mission is to institutionalise fanatic extremism politically in Taliban style."

Today's volatile situation is just an outcome of indulgence that the successive governments have shown towards the militant forces, he added.

Prof. Muntasir Mamun was critical of all the successive governments for entertaining fundamentalist forces to harvest political gains.

"Even Awami League did not identify militancy and tried the militants," said Prof. Mamun, who underscored the participation of political fronts as well as civil society in combating militancy.

Cultural activist Nasiruddin Yusuf said the militant forces have taken advantage of absence of any effective political movement at the moment.

Journalist Iqbal Sobhan called on the progressive forums to unitedly arrange a national convention against communalism and militancy.

Politician Ajay Roy called on the political parties to vow unitedly that they would not show any indulgence to the communal forces in any case.

Awami League Presidium member Abdus samad Azad said his party was committed to fighting militant fundamentalism.

Writer Shahriar Kabir presented a paper mentioning numerous incidents of communal repression and Islamist militancy.

Dr. Kamal Hossain, AL Presidium member Abdur Razzak MP, Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Huq Inu also attended the roundtable organised by the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee at the National Press Club.