Four held under anti-terror law during march to Dhanmondi 32

Police say the group arrived carrying flowers to mark Mar 7 before being stopped near Bangabandhu’s residence

Police have detained four people and sent them to court in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act after they attempted to pay tribute at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 to mark Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic Mar 7 speech.

According to police, a group of 30 to 40 people arrived in a procession from Dhanmondi Road No. 27 around 6:30am on Saturday.

The group dispersed after being stopped by police near Dhanmondi 32.

Kalabagan Police Station officers detained three women and one man from the group and took them to the police station.

“They came to Dhanmondi 32 carrying flowers as part of a procession. Four of them, three women and one man, were detained,” Kalabagan Police Station chief (OC) Md Fazle Ashiq said.

“They have been sent to court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act,” he aded.

Mar 7, the day Sheikh Mujib, the founding father of Bangladesh, delivered his historic speech that spread the message of independence across the country in 1971, has come this year in a markedly different political landscape.

During the Awami League’s 15 and a half years in power, the day, recognised as a national observance, was marked annually with elaborate programmes.

But that practice changed after a student-led mass uprising toppled the Awami League in August 2024.

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina left the country for India on Aug 5, 2024, leaving the party in its most difficult political position in decades.

The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus later cancelled eight national observances, including Mar 7.

In the changed political climate, there were no major public programmes marking the day this year.

In May last year, the interim administration banned all political activities of the Awami League. Many of its leaders and activists are now either in hiding or in jail.

Since losing power, the party’s activities have largely been confined to social media, particularly Facebook, and this year’s Mar 7 observance followed a similar pattern.