Protests, demonstrations all over city, demands for justice

From the morning today, Friday, students, professionals, artistes, physician and others have been demonstrating and protesting in various places of the capital.

Despite the rain, they took out mass processions and held protest programmes.

Students, teachers and parents gathered at 10:00 Friday morning in front of RAJUK Uttara Model College. They took part in protest rallies, demanding justice the killing of students. The air all around resounded with slogans.

Taking part in the protest, HSC examinee Sajjadur Rahman said, "What was the fault of my brother Mugdha, what was the fault of that little girl who was standing in her verandah? What was the fault of so many of the innocent people who have been killed? Why were they so brutally killed? We want justice for each and every killing."

College teachers and parents joined the gathering. They also joined in the slogans. A parent Farzana Sultana said, "My daughter studies in college, When she goes out I am assailed by anxiety. I am in constant tension. I too want justice for such crimes. That is why I have joined my daughter in this programme, even in the rain."

A gathering of youth blocked the Science Lab intersection in the capital after Friday's Juma prayers, as part of the mass procession programme of the Students against Discrimination movement. After 4:00 in the afternoon, following a few hours of the blockade, they marched to Shahbagh.

Around the same time a few hundred students demonstrated at the ECB Chattar, chanting slogans for justice in connection to the killings in the quota reform movement. They also called for the released of the detained teachers and students.

Meanwhile, after 11:30 am students of East West University took out a procession at Aftabnagar. They marched in the rain past the Rampura bridge past BRAC University and came back to East West University. Most of the students wore their ID cards around their neck.

In the morning, despite the rain, hundreds of artistes and members of the general public gathered in front of the Abahani grounds, protesting the killing of students and general people.

They demanded the accurate number of deaths be published, the killings be investigated under UN supervision, and resignation of the government.

Women leader Farida Akhter said, hundreds of innocent people were cruelly killed. So many people have not been killed since independence. The government must take this liability and resign.

Head of the NGO Brotee and also head of Uttarsuree, Sharmin Murshed said, "These young students have taught us to be courageous. They have inspired us to stand up for justice and rights. All people must take to the streets so their sacrifices do not go in vain. This movement will continue till democracy is established."

Planners formed a human chain at Bangla Motor. They said, there is fear in every step of the society. But these students know no fear. They have taken to the streets to protest against injustice. They said no more students should be harassed or shot.

The human chain called for the trial of the law enforcement where the killings took place.

Jahangirnagar University professor and planner Adil Muhammad Khan said, "The students have been living like a fugitive. Is any development possible in this situation? I hope the state will come to its senses. Its responsibility is to respect the citizens and preserve their rights."

Cultural group Udichi held a protest gathering in front of the National Press Club in the morning, President of Udichi's central committee Professor Badiur Rahman said, "We are standing at a strange juncture of time, a time where we have lost our children, our friends."

Badiur Rahman said the failure of the government to take a decision on a movement like the quota movement cannot be evaded. The government must take liability."

Medical students and physicians demonstrated in the morning at the central Shaheed Minar. The 'Kabi-Lekhok Samaj' organisation of poets and writers gathered in protest in front of Biswa Sahitya Kendra at Bangla Motor in the morning. Students in the afternoon took out processions from Baitul Mukarram and Press Club, and demonstrated at Shahbagh.