Voices rise across Bangladesh

More and more demonstrations were staged on Saturday in many districts across Bangladesh demanding death sentence for all war criminals, including Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla.

The demonstrators are not agreeing to stop even after they have become tired from the daylong protest and demonstration. They would not return home until their demands are met, they said.

People from all walks of life have already expressed solidarity with the protesters’, mainly young men and women, movement which begun at Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection on Tuesday with a handful of protesters.

The Shahbagh gathering later turned into a massive protest with several thousand people occupying the intersection to protest against the ‘light’ verdict of life term to Molla and it was still going on early Sunday for the sixth day in a row.

The International War Crimes Tribunal-2 on last Tuesday sentenced Molla to life in prison that the protesters are calling ‘too light’ compared to the crimes he did during the War of Independence in 1971.

bdnews24.com correspondents from districts reported that people across the country are staging many protest programmes including blockades, meetings, rallies, processions, human-chains and demonstrations.

Khulna

The sit-in programme at the city’s Shibbarhi intersection demanding death for the Jamaat leader continued on Saturday for the fourth day. The protests had taken place in different areas earlier, but on Saturday the intersection was declared to be the only place for the sit-in.

The organisers announced that their movement would continue until the demand is met.

A press briefing was also held at the main stage. The protesters also banned entry of all kinds of political parties and individuals.

Rajshahi

Students of Rajshahi City College, Shah Mokhdum College and Shaheed Kamaruzzaman College boycotted classes in the morning and joined the rally at the city’s Alupotti intersection.

Extending their support to the movement at Shahbagh, they also chanted slogans and sung mass music demanding death for the war criminals by hanging and banning Jamaat.

Students at Rajshahi University also continued their protest for the third straight day at their campus. They brought out processions, rallies, held cultural programmes and also set up a mock execution platform and burned effigies of war criminals.

Narayanganj

The protest of the Narayanganj Sangskritik Jote at the town’s Central Shaheed Minar at Chasharha continued on Saturday.

They sang songs, recited poems and chanted slogans at the rally over the same demand. The demonstrators also vowed to continue the movement until the war criminals including Molla are awarded death sentence.

Kushtia

Members of Progressive Chhatra Samaj blockaded the main gate of the Islamic University in Kushtia from 11am to 1pm as a protest against the ‘light punishment’ to Molla and demanding death to all war criminals.

Bagerhat

Mahila Parishad held a human-chain programme earlier in the day in front of the Bagerhat Press Club and brought out a procession from there. Local units of Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Chhatra League and Bangladesh Students Union also supported their protest programme.

Bhola

Mass gathering and rallies were staged at the district’s Lalmohon and Borhanuddin upazilas on Saturday.

People from all social classes including cultural and human rights activists, teachers and students demonstrated in front of the K Jahar Market at the town. Their protest would continue until Molla gets capital punishment, they said.

Chandpur

The air at the town’s ‘Shapath Chattar’ was filled with slogans and mass music since the afternoon. The demonstration was joined by freedom fighters and activists from different cultural and social organisations. Students of various institutions also joined the protest.

The programme was continuing late on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, bdnews24.com correspondents from Laxmipur, Magura, Naogaon, Netrokona, Panchagarh, Rajbarhi and Sherpur also reported similar protest programmes attended by people from the broad spectrum of society. Protests at some of the districts were continuing on Saturday for second or three consecutive days.