4-party human chains foiled by police
Police scuffle with supporters and activists of the four-party alliance in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday while preventing them from forming a human chain in the area.Photo: STAR
Amid police interruptions and heavy rainfall, BNP-led four-party alliance partially managed to carry out their countrywide demonstration of forming human chains yesterday.
The demonstration was scheduled demanding immediate release of detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, who is also a senior leader of the much beleaguered party.
Police broke up the human chains in most places across the country, as the law enforcement department had issued an order Tuesday night urging the protesting alliance to refrain from demonstrating, saying 'the action would violate the emergency powers rule'.
In some places including Khulna and Kishoreganj the alliance activists clashed with the law enforcers.
In the capital the protesters managed to form the chains on a limited scale at 12 points between Jatrabari intersection and Gabatoli.
Police charged batons on a human chain of Jubo Dal (South) in front of the stock exchange building in Motijheel.
Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who is the de facto executive chief of pro-Khaleda faction of BNP and the detained chairperson appointed secretary general, announced countrywide protest rallies scheduled for September 2 from a small gathering on National Press Club premises in the city amid a heavy downpour in the afternoon.
Jamaat Secretary General Ali Hossain Muhammad Mujaheed and Jatiya Party leader Andalib Rahman Partha were also present.
Around a hundred activists gathered at the press club in the afternoon, but they could not form the human chain due to heavy rainfall.
Delwar and other leaders came out from the press club building and delivered brief speeches amid the downpour demanding immediate release of Khaleda and Tarique.
"I demand that the government releases them soon and create an environment favourable for holding the national election. Otherwise the people will topple the government through a movement," Delwar told journalists.
Activists of the alliance also gathered at different other places including at Gabtoli and on Manik Mia Avenue.
Pro-BNP lawyers formed a human chain at the judge court in the city in the afternoon, according to witnesses.
BNP's student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) formed a human chain at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) intersection on Dhaka University (DU) campus around 5:15pm.
JCD activists, led by their top leaders Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Mostafa Khan Safari, Amirul Islam Khan Alim, Abdul Quader Bhuiyan Jewel, Hasan Mamun, Saiful Islam Feroz, and Obaidul Haq Nasir, formed a human chain at TSC as police had not allowed them to form it at the previously scheduled venue at the engineering institute.
Due to heavy downpour the protesters however opted to break up the chain within 10 minutes. Later, they brought out a protest march and went through the streets on the campus, ending with a brief rally at the base of Raju memorial amid the downpour.
From the rally, JCD leaders alleged that a conspiracy is on against Tarique to create a vacuum in BNP leadership through 'killing him without treatment'. They vowed to wage a countrywide tough movement if their demands are not met soon.
Meanwhile, ahead of JCD's scheduled demonstration police took position at all entry points to the university since early morning, and allowed only teachers and students to enter the campus following identity checks.
Our Dinajpur correspondent reported that the demonstration there was foiled due to police interruption.
Party sources said about one thousand leaders, activists and supporters of four-party alliance gathered in Dinajpur town from different upazilas and formed a human chain stretching from Dinajpur deputy commissioner's office to the office of Dinajpur municipality around 10.00am.
At 10.30am the administration deployed police force who urged the demonstrators over loudspeakers to disperse.
As the protesters did not heed, police forcibly removed them, said Md Mofazzal Hossain Dulal, general secretary of Dinajpur BNP.
The officer-in-charge of local police station told The Daily Star that they broke up the human chain as the police administration had information that the protesters would embark on a march.
Comments