They said secularism separates religion from the state activities.

The programme was organised by Muktijuddher Smirity Sangrakhhan Kendra Trust to mark the 10th founding anniversary of its library movement.

The two-day programme began with the slogan 'Build Secular Human Society' at Women's Voluntary Association (WVA) auditorium in the city.

The libraries set up by the trust in different parts of the country would serve as the centre to resist fundamentalism, said Prof Muntasir Mamoon.

He said these will also help spread the true history of the country and the liberation war and keep the memories of the freedom fighters alive.

"The ideals lying behind our liberation war were to practice freedom of thoughts and set up a non-communal society where the religion would be a matter of personal consideration. But we went back when the word secularism was deleted from the constitution," said Prof Kabir Chowdhury.

A united movement is now needed as the country is going to be a failed state because of the misrule of the four-party alliance government, he said.

Prof Chowdhury urged all for strengthening the oust government agitation.

The speakers said since the independence the anti-liberation forces have been trying to undermine the spirit of the liberation by causing harms to freedom fighters.

The nation should be aware of the vested quarters who had started business in the name of religion and spread a false explanation of secularism, they added.

Presided over by Journalist Shahriar Kabir, the programme was also addressed by Poet Shamsur Rahman, Litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque, Prof Anupam Sen of Chittagong University, Qazi Faroque Ahmed of Proshika, Vice- president of the Committee to Resist Killers and Collaborators of 1971 Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, and Sector Commander of Liberation War Abu Osman Chowdhury.