Shahbagh pays homage to blogger Rajib, other martyrs

On the first death anniversary of the martyred blogger and activist of Shahbagh movement Ahmed Rajib Haider, the Shahbagh Ganajagaran Mancha and several other organisations on Saturday paid rich homage to Rajib and other martyred activists of the Mancha.

After placing the wreaths at the temporary altar set up at the Shahbagh Square, now known as 'Prajanma Chattar', they stood in solemn silence for a minute and paid their homage to all the martyrs of the Mancha,

After placing the wreath, Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Dr Imran H Sarker told reporters, “The sacrifices of blogger Rajib Haider, Agrani Bank’s liftman Jafar Munsi and all other martyrs manifested people’s involvement in the Mancha’s movement.”

Imran claimed that though their movement was against injustice, the Mancha activists themselves were the victims of injustice as except in the Rajib killing case, no major headway has yet been made in the investigation into other killing cases.

Demanding arrests and punishment for the killers, Imran said that the martyrs of the Ganajagaran Mancha had taken their stance in favour of the state and against all war criminals. So, the government should do justice to them by holding a fair trial into their killings.

One of the frontline organisers of Ganajagaran Mancha and Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree President Bappaditya Basu, Bangladesh Chhatra Union's central council leader Lucky Akhter, JSD Bangladesh Chhatra League President Samsul Islam Sumon, Biplobi Chhatro Moitry leader Foysal Faruk and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front President Jonardhan Dutta Nantu also paid their rich tributes to the martyrs of the Mancha on behalf of their respective organisations.

Blogger and online activist Rajib was stabbed to death near his house at the capital’s Mirpur area on February 15 last year – 10 days after the inception of the Shahbagh movement, which was joined by thousands from all walks of life and dubbed ‘Bangla Spring’ by the international media.

A group of young people, including online activists, bloggers and student leaders, took to the streets at Shahbagh intersection on February 5, 2013, hours after the International Crimes Tribunal 2 sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla to life imprisonment on charges of committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the war of independence.

The youths had found Molla’s punishment ‘too lenient’ compared to the crimes he had committed during the country’s Liberation War in 1971 and were later joined by swelling crowds.

At one stage, the Shahbagh agitation spread to all corners of the country, demanding death penalty for Molla and all other war criminals.