Uprising waves hit Mirpur

Thousands of protesters rallied at Mirpur-10 on Monday as a part of their ongoing movement demanding death to all convicted war criminals.

Mirpur is the place where hundreds of Bengalis were killed by the local collaborators of the Pakistani troops led by Jamaat-Islami Assistant Secretary general Abdur Quader Molla during the Liberation War in 1971. He is more widely known as the "butcher" in the area for the killings of innocent Bengalis.

Addressing a mass gathering there in the afternoon, leaders of Ganajagaran Mancha said the mass protest demanding the execution of convicted war criminals, including Molla, will get stronger by the day despite propaganda by quarters working against the 1971 Liberation War spirit.

They also renewed their other demands, including a ban on Jamaat and the arrest of Bengali daily Amar Desh Acting Editor for instigating violence and spreading poison of communalism.

The protesters took an oath to continue with the movement until the war criminals are convicted to death and Jamaat and its financial institutions are banned.

Ganajagaran Mancha convener and spokesperson Imran H Sarker administered the oath taking.

The rally at Mirpur began around 3:30pm as people from all walks of life thronged the Mirpur 10 intersection and the adjoining roads to raise their voice in solidarity with the demonstrations.

The programme began with the national anthem at 3:30pm. The crowd also observed a minute’s silence in honour of the Liberation War martyrs and those killed in the bloody BDR mutiny at the paramilitary force’s Peelkhana headquarters.

The leaders of different student organisations addressed the rally from the stage, assembled on two trucks at the centre of the gathering.

Addressing the rally, Imran accused the Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir of arson attack in the early hours of Monday on Ekushey Book Fair on the Bangla Academy premises, which burnt to ashes at least 25 bookstalls.

Criticising the government for not arresting Mahmudur Rahman yet, he announced demonstration outside the Ministry of Home at 4pm on Tuesday.

They will also submit a memorandum to the minister demanding that the government immediately detain Rahman.

The life term imprisonment for Jamaat leader Mollah handed down on Feb 5 by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 angered the youths, prompting them to begin the sit-in at Shahbagh as they believed he deserved death penalty for his crime against humanity in 1971.

The protests have already turned into a civil uprising and moved expatriate Bangladeshis.