Staff Correspondent: Speakers at a webinar have said that the Kashmir crisis is a threat to South Asia and the world.

The webinar titled "Kashmir Crisis and Regional Stability" was organised by the South Asia Youth for Peace and Prosperity Society on Thursday.

Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury, Founder, Gonoshasthya Kendra, Mr. Shamsuzzaman Dudu, BNP Vice-Chairman, Professor Dr. Dilara Chowdhury, eminent political scientist Sirajul Islam, former Ambassador former Diplomat Shakib Ali, Security Analysts Col (retd) Ashraf Al Deen and Dr Saifuddin Ahmed, Chairman, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies,

University of Dhaka,  were present as the speakers in the webinar. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Sajjadul Hoque, Chairman of the Organising Committee. Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury said, the Kashmir crisis is a threat to South Asia and the world. He said, India further destabilised the region by revoking the special autonomy (Article 370) of the Kashmiris.

He said the Indian government should restore the rights of the people of Kashmir. Recalling Bangabandhu`s support for the Kashmiri people, he said that the government and people of Bangladesh should stand by the Kashmiri people. 

He emphasised the need to resolve the Kashmir crisis by maintaining regional stability through an UN-sponsored referendum.

 BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu urged India to practise democracy with a non-communal spirit. He gave support to the Kashmiri people and called on India to restore the rights of the Kashmiri people through the reinstatement of Article-370.

He said the decision should be taken in accordance with the views of Kashmiris through a referendum to be organised by the United Nations.

Speakers at the webinar opined that the withdrawal of Article 370 by India has created a volatile situation in South Asia, including Kashmir. Speakers at the webinar expressed their views that human rights violations in Kashmir are pushing the region into a conflict situation and that has intensified the arms race between China, India and Pakistan.