Shahbagh activists form human chain

Shahbagh activists wearing black badges formed a human chain in front of Dhaka Central Jail demanding release of four bloggers.

Police arrested the earlier this month in connection with their Internet posts that the law enforcers said hurt the religious beliefs of Muslims.

Sources said a group of the youths demonstrating for around two and half months for capital punishment to war criminals formed the human chain around 3:15pm.

On April 2, police picked up blogger Asif Mohiuddin at Segunbagicha in the capital, a day after three others were held for posting “derogatory comments about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)” on the Internet.

The arrests came amid strong criticism over the government role, which many termed as “submissive”, following some radical Islamist organisations’ threat of unleashing anarchy if “atheist bloggers are not hanged”.

The bloggers were later placed on remand in a case filed for making disparaging comments about Islam and the Prophet (pbuh).

On February 15, blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was brutally killed by miscreants in front of their Mirpur residence. Later, police arrested five youths in connection with the murder.

Radical Islamist groups have been campaigning against the Shahbagh movement initiated by the bloggers.