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Published : 19 Jul 2025, 01:19 PM
As Jamaat-e-Islami prepares for its first major rally in years, scores of party activists have thronged Suhrawardy Udyan, spilling into surrounding areas including the Dhaka University campus.
By 10:30am on Saturday, Shahbagh and the university grounds were brimming with crowds. Since early morning, many were spotted resting at various points across the campus, including the Mall Chattar, the TSC, Bot Tola, Fine Arts Faculty, and Curzon Hall.
Badrul Islam, who came from Noakhali, said: “We were repressed for 16 long years. This is the first time we’re holding a rally, so we arrived last night. Now we’re just resting a bit.”
Shahadat Howlader from Barishal said, “The election is approaching. The Jamaat Ameer (chief) will be here. He’ll give us guidance on how to move forward. That’s why we’ve come.”
The presence of regular students on campus, however, was markedly thin. Unlike other days, there were no restrictions on vehicle movement or the entry of outsiders.
A crowd of Jamaat supporters was seen near a medical booth set up near the Raju Memorial Sculpture. The party’s volunteers were active at different points across the campus.
Dhaka University Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts.
Although the rally is slated to kick off at 2:00pm, Suhrawardy Udyan had already transformed into a sea of people by 9:30am.
Jamaat is organising the rally to press home a series of demands, including a free, fair, neutral and peaceful national election.
