Police have foiled the attempt of left leaning student organisations to lay siege to the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry to press home a four-point demand including the repeal of the Digital Security Act.
When the demonstrators reached the secretariat at around 12:20pm, police intercepted them with a barricade.
The protesters then staged demonstrations in front of the police barricade, and warned of the tougher agitation in the days to come.
Nine left leaning student organisations brought out a rally from Dhaka University (DU) campus at noon on Tuesday to lay siege to the law ministry, demanding withdrawal of lawsuits filed against seven student leaders, justice for the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed and the torture of cartoonist Kishore, and the release of labour leader Ruhul Amin who was detained under DSA.
Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, a professor of international relations at Dhaka University said, "The colonial rulers enacted the Official Secret Act to suppress the anti-British movement and ensure their security."
"After 50 years of independence, today we see the enactment of a similar law. That means the present government still has the mindset of the colonial regime," the professor said.
