Shahbagh blocked over demand to ban Awami League
Protesters blocked the capital's Shahbagh intersection on Friday afternoon, pressing their demand to ban Bangladesh Awami League.
Prior to this, Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of National Citizen Party (NCP), announced the blockade of Shahbagh intersection from a stage near to the Chief Adviser’s residence.
Following the announcement, protesters brought out a procession toward Shahbagh and then blocked the intersection.
They then took position at the intersection and were seen chanting slogans demanding the ban of the Awami League.
Earlier, the protesters took position after Juma prayers by erecting a stage near the fountain close to the Chief Adviser’s residence Jamuna, and Hasnat Abdullah announced the Shahbagh blockade from the stage at 4:35 pm.
At that time, Hasnat Abdullah said, “The progress of Bangladesh will begin when the title of the country will become: Bangladesh without Awami League. Our words have not reached the ears of the interim government. So, we will block Shahbagh now. We will stay at Shahbagh until the gazette on the ban of Awami League is issued. Our second uprising phase will begin from here.”
On Thursday night, Hasnat Abdullah announced a sit-in in front of the Chief Adviser’s residence, demanding a clear roadmap on the trial of Awami League and the ban of the party’s political activities. The sit-in programme began in front of Jamuna around 10:00 pm.
At first, leaders and activists of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and NCP joined Hasnat Abdullah in the sit-in. Flanked by party leaders, NCP convener Nahid Islam and member secretary Akhtar Hossen joined the protest around 1:00 am Thursday.
Several leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam also went on in front of Jamuna a little after 1:00 am. Leaders and activists of AB Party arrived around 1:30 am and central leaders of Islami Chattra Shibir came around 2:00 am.
After overnight protests, leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami joined in the morning. Around 8:30 am, Hasnat Abdullah and NCP's chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari announced that they would hold a large gathering after Jumm prayers in front of the fountain on the West side of Jamuna, and the protest would continue simultaneously.
Protesters left the front area of Jamuna at 12:00 pm and took position in front of the stage near the fountain. A large crowd gathered in front of the stage after Jumma prayers.
Alongside the NCP, leaders and activists of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, AB Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh, and Khilafat Chhatra Majlish participated in the event.
Several top leaders of the parties also addressed the protest, followed by Hasnat Abdullah’s announcement on Shahbagh blockade.