Shahbagh youths demand arrest of Rajib killers in 7 days, action against Jamaat-backed institutions
Hundreds
of thousands of people attend a grand rally at Projonmo Chattar in the
capital's Shahbagh on Thursday. Photo: Rashed Shumon
Youths
from Projonmo Chattar on Thursday demanded that the government raise
war crimes charges against Jamaat-e-Islami by March 26. They issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government for arresting the killers of Ahmed Rajib Haider, a blogger and active Shahbagh protester.
The demonstrators demanded formation of an independent commission to take legal action against all organisations that patronise Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Announcing their next course of action from a grand rally, the youths called for arranging especial Dua after Friday's Juma prayers at every mosque across the country seeking salvation of the martyrs killed by Jamaat activists during and after the 1971 Liberation War.
The other demands include making the International Crimes Tribunals permanent, exposing the brutality of Jamaat-Shibir through the national and international media and taking immediate actions against instigating media outlets.
Imran H Sarker, convener of Blogger and Online Activist Network, which has organised the Shahbagh demonstrations, made the announcement on behalf of the protesters.
The next programmes include collecting mass signatures supporting the war crimes trial and sending them to Projonmo Chattar that would ultimately be forwarded to the Speaker of the Parliament.
The protesters called for a mass gathering at Rayer Bazar mass grave on February 23.
Shahbagh protesters staged the grand rally at the Projonmo Chattar to press home their demand of capital punishment to all the war criminals including Quader Mollah.
The grand rally, third of its kind, started at 4:13pm Thursday through recital of verses from holy scriptures – Holy Quran, Gita, Bible and Tripitaka.
The youths demanded that Bangabir Quader Siddiqui withdraw his comment criticising the Shahbagh protests. Otherwise, they added, the countrymen would take away the title conferred on him for his valiant role in the 1971 Liberation War.
At the rally, the speakers said that Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir have picked up their old weapon, which is communal instigation.
They vowed not to leave the streets until a ban is imposed on the politics of Jamaat-Shibir and all the war criminals are sent to gallows.
On Monday, the protesters decided to hold the grand rally on the day of Amar Ekushey.
Meanwhile, the youths called upon the freedom fighters to narrate the true history of the Liberation War before the young generation.
"Don't stay at home. Scatter all over the country. Pay visit to schools and colleges and describe the fact of the Liberation War before the students," the protesters said.
The Projonmo Chottor demonstrators, who have been protesting for the last 17 days for the capital punishment to the all war criminals, made the call through a loudspeaker at Shahbagh.
Hundreds of people, mostly dressed in black and imbued with the spirit of the '71, began their day’s activities by rendering national anthem in the morning at the venue.
Our reporter covering the event reports, Shahbagh has witnessed huge crowd on February 21 than the last few days as people from all walks of life are pouring into the protest venue directly from Central Shaheed Minar on the occasion of Amar Ekushey.
They were seen chanting slogans against the war criminals and rendering revolutionary songs.
On Wednesday, thousands of protesters vowed to safeguard the nation's hard-earned independence and build a prosperous Bangladesh at any cost, even by sacrificing their lives.
They made the pledge in their letters to the martyred freedom fighters from Shahbagh. In a symbolic gesture, the protesters tied the letters to balloons, which were then released in the air.
The nonstop movement began in the afternoon of February 5, hours after Jamaat assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Mollah was sentenced to life in prison for war crimes in 1971. Protesters say a life term is too lenient a punishment for Quader Mollah, who is known as the "Butcher of Mirpur" for his notorious role in the killing of hundreds during the Liberation War.
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