Opposition set for 2nd human wall

The mainstream opposition parties have finished preparations for forming a human wall for the second time in a month from Sundarbans to Sunamganj tomorrow in a show of no-confidence in the BNP-led coalition government which has braced for massive security measures to avert untoward incidents.

The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will use helicopters to patrol tomorrow's programme along with a huge contingent of other law-enforcers on the 800-kilometre route during the 3:00pm-4:00pm demonstration, as it did in the December 11 human wall from Teknaf to Tentulia, sources at the home ministry said.

"We have asked the law-enforcing agencies to take similar measures that were taken during the December 11 human wall to help the opposition to complete the programme peacefully," State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar told reporters yesterday after a meeting at the ministry.

"We want to ensure that the opposition parties observe their programme peacefully and we have taken all necessary steps to this end," he added.

The opposition parties that include the main opposition Awami League (AL), left-leaning 11-Party alliance, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and National Awami Party (Nap) are now busy with last-minute preparations at the field level to make the showdown a success.

The human wall will touch 57 upazilas in 19 districts, apart from three metropolitan cities including capital Dhaka, but the opposition parties plan to mobilise their activists and people from the districts adjacent to the route.

After successfully forming the human wall from Teknaf to Tentulia, the opposition parties on December 11 declared the Sundarbans-to-Sunamganj human wall programme on a common nine-point charter of demands with the ultimate goal of overthrowing government.

Different socio-cultural organisations and professional bodies have decided to join the human wall in a show of solidarity with the opposition demands.

All the central- and grassroots-level leaders and activists of the parties concerned made held rallies, processions and mass contact and campaigned with posters and leaflets to mobilise people in the lead-up to tomorrow's programme.

Key leaders of the parties held joint rallies in Sunamganj, Sylhet and Mongla in the last week though leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) did not join the rallies. The CPB conducted its campaign separately in the areas, saying it is a simultaneous movement with other opposition parties against the government. It also maintained that it need not address the public from a common podium all the time.

Central leaders of the CPB, one of the main components of the 11-Party alliance, yesterday held two separate rallies in Mongla and Sunamganj.

The AL has sent 19 committees composed of the central leaders to different places on the human wall route for mass contact. Separate teams of AL's front organisations also joined the countrywide campaign.

Apart from the AL, other opposition parties are holding rallies, road marches and workers' meetings.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil yesterday said preparations for the human wall are going on 'very well'. He said thousands of people will show no-trust in the government tomorrow by joining hands together from one part to another of the country.