Mass gathering begins at Shahbagh
The prescheduled mass gathering programme has begun at Shahbagh in Dhaka, with the demand that the government impose a ban on Awami League.
Leaders and activists from different organisations, including National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir and United Peoples Bangladesh (UP Bangladesh), joined the programme after 3:00pm. More parties and organisations are supposed to join there.
NCP leaders Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, UP Bangladesh convener Ali Ahsan Zunayed, Chhatra Shibir leader Sibgatullah, and some other leaders took position on the stairs under the giant screen around 3:30pm. They urged all to take position on the street and maintain discipline.
Sarjis Alam urged all not to use any megaphones other than the central one, as the programme will take place with the same demand.
The protesters are chanting various slogans demanding ban for Awami League politics and removal of President Md Shahabuddin.
NCP Southern region’s Chief Organiser Hasnat Abdullah called for a sit-in programme demanding ban on Awami League politics on Thursday overnight till 12 noon Friday.
Leaders and activists of different other political parties and organisations also joined the sit-in. Later a sit-in and rally were held on a stage set up at the Minto Road intersection near Jamuna from 12:00pm to 4:30pm yesterday.
Alongside leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP), leaders from various Islamist parties and organisations also delivered speeches.
Leaders from several platforms formed around the July uprising, as well as various Islamist student organisations, also addressed the gathering.
At 4:35pm, Hasnat Abdullah announced the “Shahbagh Blockade” from that stage. Following this announcement, a procession marched to Shahbagh and began the blockade.
At around 11:00pm, during the blockade programme in Shahbagh, NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah told journalists that they would continue their sit-in with three main demands: declaring the Awami League a terrorist organisation and banning it, incorporating provisions for the trial of the Awami League as a party under the International Crimes Tribunal Act, and issuing the "July Declaration."
He also announced a mass gathering at Shahbagh today, Saturday at 3:00pm. Hasnat stated that the sit-in will continue until the Awami League is banned.
In line with this announcement, the blockade at Shahbagh continued throughout last night and has been ongoing since this morning.
However, shortly before 4:00am, Hasnat Abdullah posted on his verified Facebook page urging people not to block highways in Dhaka or across the country outside of Shahbagh. In the post, he wrote: “Do not block highways in Dhaka or across the country except for Shahbagh. Organise spontaneous gatherings and rallies in the districts, but no blockades. Lift the blockades.”