Protest gets social media boost

The social media have been vocal against the ‘lenient’ sentence that the second International Crimes Tribunal awarded to Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla for war crimes.

Following the tribunal’s Tuesday verdict sentencing Molla, widely known as ‘Butcher of Mirpur’, to life term in prison, there have been numerous postings on Facebook and Twitter and in blogs denouncing the judgment and demanding death penalty for him.

ABC Radio Chief Operating Officer Sanaullah Lablu wrote on his Facebook status on Wednesday: “When I came back home last night, my 11th-grade only son asked me, ‘Baba, have you come from Shahbagh?” I answered in the affirmative. I heard guitar tune from his room until 4am. As I was leaving home at noon today, he said to me, ‘Listen, Baba, I will go to Shahbagh’.

“It takes me back to the eighties, when I would leave house escaping my father’s eye to join anti-Ershad movement. After coming back home, he would scold me... But I won’t scold my son; rather I’ll take him to Shahbagh. Who but he will carry my flag.”

Members of different organisations and bloggers gathered at Shahbagh to reject the ‘light’ sentence and demand capital punishment to the convicted war criminal.

Frustrated at the sentence, Chittagong University student Nirjhor Mojumder updated his Facebook status: “We’ll take up arms if necessary to ensure trial of war crimes. We’ll go as far as it requires.”

Beginning with only a little over hundred people in the afternoon, the Shahbagh gathering turned into an assembly of several thousands at night. Many Facebook users called upon others to join the Shahbagh protest, on their status.

One Facebook user, Mamun Stonecold, wrote on his status: “Come to Shahbagh, even if you are scared of the troubles on the street. You’ll find so many people by you to demand trial of the anti-liberation hyenas and vultures. Just forget what will happen. Just say that you demand death penalty (for the war criminals). You have the courage to raise tour voice with others in this demand.”

Many users are posting pictures and video clips of the Shahbagh protest.

‘Mongolgroher Jatri’ wrote in somewhereinbolg: “The verdicts on war crimes do not concern a few people. The whole nation is looking at them.”

He said: “O justice, the people who will try you have risen this time.”

Md Shahriar Sakil wrote in bdnews24.com blog: “The people don’t accept this verdict.”