Several thousand Ahab cohorts marched the streets of Rajshahi yesterday, threatening the government with tougher agitation and a 'a good lesson in the upcoming election' if Galib is not immediately released.

The Rajshahi Metropolitan Police had earlier granted the organisation a petition for holding the agitation, on the condition that the group does nothing but express its demands, police sources said.

Similiar demonstrations were held in other cities, including Satkhira, where Ahab activists brought out a procession from Shahid Abdur Razzak park and paraded the main thorough fares of the town.

The protests come in response to the arrest on February 23 of Ahab chief and Rajshahi University Arabic teacher Galib, Ahab second in command Abdus Samad Salafi, general secretary Nurul Islam and organising secretary ASM Azizullah. They were later implicated in at least seven cases of murder, bomb attacks and NGO office robbery cases.

Ahab followers from all nine upazilas of Rajshahi, including most from Durgapur, Mohonpur and Godagari, came to the city and brought out the procession from Upashahar AH Jame Mosque at around 4pm amid a large police escort.