People from different professional groups, including leaders and workers of AL's student fronts, joined the programme from Customs House crossing to Bahaddarhat crossing for an hour from 4:01pm.

They also held meetings at 29 points including Barek Building crossing, Tigarpass, Lalkhanbazar, GEC crossing, Sholoshohar and Muradpur crossing to press their demand for resignation of the government.

City AL called the programme to protest at the government's failure to rule the country as killings, kidnapping, robbery, violation of women and repression on their leaders and workers and price hike of daily commodities continued unabated.

The human chain programme ended with the blowing of whistle by AL leader Engineer Mosharraf Hossain at 5:01pm.

Later, a rally was held at Tigarpass crossing with Engineer Mosharraf Hossain in the chair.

The rally was addressed, among others, by Chittagong City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, General Secretary of Chittagong North AL MA Salam General Secretary of Chittagong South AL Moslemuddin Ahmed, Chittgong University Teachers Association Secretary Prof Helal Uddin Nizami, District Bar President Adv Ibrahim Hossain Babul and Secretary Monotosh Barua.

The mayor blamed the government for arresting AL leaders and workers in the name of block raids and demanded their immediate release.

He also warned that a dawn-to-dusk hartal call will be given in the district on April 29 when the prime minister is expected to visit the port city to hold cabinet meeting there.