Attack on Taposh triggers protests

Dhaka city Awami League stages a demonstration in front of the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city yesterday protesting the bomb attack on AL lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh at Motijheel in the city on Wednesday night.Photo: STARDU Correspondent

Different socio-political organisations yesterday staged demonstrations across the country in protest against the bomb attack on ruling Awami League (AL) lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh at Motijheel in the city on Wednesday night.

The leaders of the organisations strongly condemned the attack and termed it an ill attempt by anti-liberation forces to disrupt the ongoing hearing on Bangabandhu murder case in the Supreme Court.

At the protest programmes, they demanded the government take the incident seriously and ensure all necessary steps to find out persons involved in the attack.

Taposh, a lawmaker from Dhaka-12 constituency and a close relation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, narrowly escaped a bomb attack on his car in front of his law chamber that left at least 13 people injured.

The protesters called on all to remain alert to such criminal activities.

In a statement yesterday, BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan condemned the bomb attack on the AL lawmaker.

Expressing his concern, Nazrul said such an attack on a lawmaker is a heinous crime.

He demanded that the government bring the real culprits to book.

Protesting the attack, pro-AL student front Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) brought out a protest procession and held a rally on the Dhaka University campus at noon.

The BCL leaders blamed the main opposition BNP and Jamaat for the attack and demanded that law enforcement agencies put their maximum efforts to arrest the culprits and placed them behind the bars.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at an emergency meeting strongly protested and condemned the attack.

SCBA leaders called on the government to arrest the culprits immediately and ensure their exemplary punishment.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) expressed its grave concern over the bomb attack, saying that the attack is not an isolated incident but an evidence of a deep-rooted conspiracy.

Workers' Party of Bangladesh also condemned the attack on the AL lawmaker.

Gopalganj and Tungipara units of BCL staged separate demonstrations at district headquarters and Tungipara protesting the attack.

Elephant Road Shop Owners' Association, Lawyers' Association in Narayanganj, Jubo League units of Feni and Narshingdi districts brought out protest processions and held rallies to protest the attack.

Other organisations protested the attack include Lawyers for Transparency, Jatiya Party (JP-Manju), Islamic Front Bangladesh, Amra Muktijoddhar Santan, Dhaka Lawyers' Association, Bangladesh Sammabadi Dal, Hazaribagh Tannery Workers' Union, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters' Association, National People's Party, Sammilita Samajik Andolon, Samajtantrik Mahila Forum, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Pragatishill Chhatra Jote, Bangladesh Chhatra Andolon and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (Dhaka South unit).