Demos demanding AL ban spread

Protesters yesterday vowed not to leave the streets until the interim government issued a notification banning the Awami League by designating it as a “terrorist” organisation.

Leaders and activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP), as well as different political and student organisations, staged a mass sit-in at the Shahbagh intersection, which had remained blocked since Friday afternoon. The protests have spread to other parts of the city and the country.

The demonstration began late Thursday night after Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (south) of the NCP, urged his followers on Facebook to gather in front of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus’s official residence Jamuna to press home their demand for a ban on the AL. 

Hundreds of activists showed up soon afterwards and demonstrated there throughout the night. They moved to Shahbagh the next day.

As the government convened an emergency meeting of the advisory council yesterday evening to discuss the issue, Hasnat warned that they would march to the chief adviser’s residence if a clear roadmap for banning the AL did not emerge from the meeting.

“We will move forward from Shahbagh at 8:30pm and take position at the intersection near Hotel Intercontinental. I want to make it clear to the advisers: do not delay on the question of banning the Awami League. We still trust you. Resolve the issue immediately,” he said.

Earlier in the day, he told the protesters they must ensure that the government impose the ban even if he could not make any further announcement.

“Until that happens, you must not leave the streets,” he said.

“I have been on the streets since Thursday night, I may fall sick at any moment. Even if I declare the withdrawal of this movement, even under conspiracy or pressure, you must continue the protests.”

The NCP leader also said Bangladesh is now divided into two groups. “Those who demand a ban on the Awami League stand for Bangladesh, and those who don’t are the forces supporting fascism.”

Azizul Haque Islamabadi, joint secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam, gave Prof Yunus a 24-hour ultimatum for a notification banning the Awami League.

He warned that if the demand was not met, they would isolate Dhaka from the rest of Bangladesh.

Sit-ins and blockades were also held in the capital’s Jatrabari and Shyamoli areas, as well as in Chattogram, Khulna, Savar, Rajshahi, Narsingdi and Kishoreganj.

Besides NCP and Hefazat, the AB Party, Khelafat Majlish, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party, UP Bangladesh, July Mancha, Inqilab Mancha, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and several other organisations took part in the protests.

In a notice last month, Dhaka Metropolitan Police imposed a ban on all gatherings near the Secretariat, the chief adviser’s residence, Shahbagh and nearby areas, Hotel Intercontinental intersection, Kakrail mosque intersection, Officers Club intersection, and Minto Road.

A similar notice issued yesterday did not mention Shahbagh as a restricted area.

PROTESTS SPREAD

Protesters also blocked Mirpur Road near Shyamoli in the capital at 1:00pm. It was ongoing until the filing of this report, said Abdul Kaiyum, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Due to the blockade, commuters suffered amid intense heat and prolonged gridlock.

Another group of protesters staged a blockade of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in front of Dania College in Dhaka’s Jatrabari for around an hour from 11:00am, said Kamruzzaman Talukder, OC of Jatrabari Police Station.

In Chattogram, the demonstrators started a sit-in at the New Market intersection at 3:00pm under the banner of the “July Unity Platform Chattogram”.

One side of the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway was closed until 9:00pm as the protesters in Rajshahi held a sit-in at the Talaimari intersection, starting from around 4:30pm.

In Kishoreganj, the protesters blocked the Kishoreganj-Dhaka highway for one hour from 11:00am.

The agitators in Savar began their movement in the Pakija Mor area of Dhaka-Aricha highway around 3:00pm and continued until the filing of this report at 9:00pm.

The demonstration in Khulna began around 4:00pm at the Shibbari intersection of the city.