BANGLADESH NEWS
The Suhrawardy Udyan, formerly Race Course Maidan where Bangabandhu
delivered his historic March 7 speech, reverberated with anti-Razakar
slogans yesterday.
On the day in 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced to the thunderous
roars of hundreds of thousands: “The struggle this time is for
emancipation. The struggle this time is for independence.”
Forty-two years after that independence was won, the Shahbagh
demonstrators on the same ground declared the struggle this time was to
rid the country of Razakar and Jamaat-Shibir.
Marking March 7, the protesters held the rally at the Shikha Chirantan
at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, the 31st day of the movement.
Once again, demonstrators urged the countrymen to resist Jamaat-Shibir in every neighbourhood.
“March 7 is the inspiration of our sprit of unity and a guideline for
our struggle…. Driven by this inspiration, we will continue our movement
until our demands are met,” said Imran H Sarker, spokesperson for the
protest that began on February 5 demanding capital punishment to all war
criminals.
Marking the International Women’s Day today, the protesters will
organise a Nari Jagoron Samabesh (rally for awakening women) at the
Shahbagh intersection, now popularly known as Projonmo Chattar.
Imran called upon the women of different walks of life to join the rally
and urged the garment owners and other organisations to allow a few
hours’ leave for all women employees to join the rally.
The organisers will today announce the date, time and venues of rallies
to be held in divisional cities outside Dhaka. Also, the deadline for
the mass signature campaign has been extended till March 22. So far, 4.5
lakh signatures have been registered.
Like in previous rallies, Imran administered an oath to the protesters,
who vowed to continue the movement until their demands are met.
Criticising the filing of a case against Imran over “disgracing the
national flag”, Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree President Bappadittya Bashu
said, “Nothing happens when Jamaat-Shibir men burn the national flag
down. But when we call for hoisting the flag, it is denigration of it.”
Demonstrators also slammed Jatiya Party Chairman and former autocrat HM
Ershad for giving “negative” comments about the Shahbagh movement.
Leaders of different student bodies spoke at the rally participated by various professionals and socio-cultural organisations.
At the rally, a nine-year-old child, Apurbo, rendered Bangabandhu’s full speech of March 7.
Earlier in the morning, protesters brought out an anti-hartal campaign
from Shahbagh and marched through Matsya Bhaban, Jatiya Press Club and
Purana Paltan before returning to the intersection.
Protesters took to the Shahbagh intersection on 5 February, just hours
after a war crimes tribunal gave life sentence to Jamaat leader Abdur
Quader Mollah for war crimes in 1971.
They have been demanding capital punishment to Mollah, saying a life term for him is too lenient a punishment.
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