Police block march to Indian High Commission in Dhaka’s Rampura

They later allow a six-member delegation to take a memorandum to the Indian mission in Dhaka

Police have blocked a procession by three BNP affiliate organisations – the Jubo Dal, the Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal – at Rampura Bridge as they marched toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in response to the attack on Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala and the desecration of the national flag.

Then, after a proposal by the police, a six-member delegation from the three organisations will go to the Indian mission to deliver their memorandum, according to Md Rakib Hasan, additional deputy commissioner of the Gulshan Zone.

“Out of security considerations, the procession was blocked near Rampura Bridge. Police hen proposed taking a delegation through. Accordingly, we are taking a delegation of six with a memorandum through.”

The six-member delegation consists of Jubo Dal President Abdul Munayem Munna and General Secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam Nayan, Swechchhasebak Dal President SM Zilani and General Secretary Rajib Ahsan, and Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir.

There had been a large deployment of army personnel and police at the Indian High Commission to provide security surrounding the event, a diplomatic security official said.

"As per the Vienna Convention, we have taken all kinds of preparations for the security of the embassy at all times,” they said. “Around 100 additional security personnel have been deployed in response to today’s programme of BNP affiliates heading towards the Indian embassy."

The march began at 11:30am on Sunday from the BNP central office in Naya Paltan, with thousands of leaders and activists from the three groups joining in. It reached Rampura Bridge around 12:30pm, where it was brought to a halt by law enforcers.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi launched the programme from a makeshift stage set up on a truck at Naya Paltan.

The preceding rally was chaired by Jubo Dal President M Munayem Munna and moderated by Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir.

At the rally, Jubo Dal chief Munayem Munna said, “This is a peaceful protest. We are standing against the aggressive acts by India’s extremist ruling faction, which has joined forces with the deposed autocrat Sheikh Hasina to harm our nation.”

“Let it be clear -- these actions will not succeed. The people of this country fought a bloody war for independence and we are fully prepared to defend it.”

Senior leaders from the three organisations, along with other central leaders, participated in the march.

From early morning, activists began gathering in Naya Paltan in large processions. The crowd extended from Kakrail’s Nightingale intersection to Fakirerpool intersection.

The march was set to travel through Shantinagar, Malibagh, Mouchak Mor and Rampura before concluding at the Indian High Commission in Baridhara.

Last week, a right-wing Hindu organisation staged a protest in Agartala, where some protesters breached the premises of Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission, vandalised the property, and removed the Bangladeshi national flag. Law enforcement later intervened and dispersed the protesters.

Reports indicate the Agartala protest was triggered by the arrest and imprisonment of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sanatani Jagaran Jote.