A
protester chants slogan demanding capital punishment for war criminals
at Shahbagh intersection in the capital on Tuesday. Shahbagh
intersection has been witnessing a different Pahela Falgun as the
youths are continuing their demonstration for the ninth straight day on
Wednesday demanding death penalty for all war criminals.
Our
correspondent covering the event reported that half of the
demonstrators attired in traditional yellow dress joined the protest at
the intersection popularly knows as 'Projonmo Chottor', chanting slogans
"ei bashonte bashonta dag (mark of chickenpox) nipat jak, nipat jak".Pahela Falgun heralds the first day of the spring, the king of the season, and every year in Bangladesh, the occasion was marked with festivity and welcome songs. But this year, Falgun will be welcomed by rendering protest songs at Shahbagh.
People from all walks of life, mostly students of different schools and colleges were marching towards the protest venue since the morning chanting slogans. Vendors were seen busy with selling flowers in and around the protest venue.
Dhakabashi, a socio-cultural voluntary organisation, joined the protest around noon.
Hundreds of outraged students, activists and ordinary citizens started the non-stop movement on February 5, soon after a war crimes tribunal sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah to life term in prison for crimes against humanity during the country's 1971 Liberation War.
Though the 'Bloggers and Online Activist Network' started the demonstration, soon it transformed into a people's movement.
The movement spread to other parts of the country getting louder with the call for capital punishment for all war criminals.
On Tuesday afternoon, the protesters and countrymen held a three-minute silence to press home the demand for death penalty for all war criminals including Mollah.
After holding the silence protest, the protesters vowed to continue their movement and said that Jamaat-Shibir would no way be able to stop the people's movement, not even by exploding bombs or carrying out attacks.
Later, they declared a two-day programme to press home their demand.
As par the programme, the youths will render protest songs at Shahbagh at 3:00pm on Wednesday and hold a countrywide candlelight vigil at 7:00pm on Thursday in the memory of the martyrs killed by Jamaat and its student wing during and after the Liberation War.
The protesters on Sunday submitted a six-point charter to the Speaker, demanding death penalty for all war criminals, and revocation of the state's power to grant them amnesty.
The other demands include an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act, allowing appeals against inadequate punishment and disposal of appeals from both the defence and the prosecution within three months of their filing.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the same day thanked the youths for raising voice against the 1971 war criminals.
The organiser held a grand rally at Shahbagh intersection on Friday where tens of thousands thronged and called for the death penalty for all war criminals of the Liberation War.
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