Anti-govt movement: Ganatantra Mancha announces 5-day programme

Ganatantra Mancha has announced a five-day programme, including a road march, to intensify its ongoing movement to oust the Awami League government, reports UNB.

Saiful Haque, the coordinator of the alliance and general secretary of Bangladesh-er Biplobi Workers Party, came up with the announcement of the fresh programmes at a press conference at his party office on Wednesday.

The programmes include marches on 23 May in Dhaka South and on 28 May in Dhaka North, and a road march towards Dinajpur from Dhaka on 4 June to 6 June.

Saiful said the common people in the country are going through extreme hardship due to price hikes in daily necessities, the crisis of gas, electricity and repeated hikes in the prices of utility services.

The people have been pushed towards an intolerable situation through serious mismanagement in all areas. It is very clear that the government can’t run the country," he said.

Saiful alleged that the government has put the future of the people and democracy in jeopardy by staying in power by force. “The people of the country can’t accept this situation in any way.”

He said they have announced the fresh programmes of the ongoing movement on the basis of their alliance’s 14-point demand to bring a change in the government and governance."

As part of their programmes, Saiful said the leaders and activists of the alliance will march towards Bahadur Shah Park from the national press club at 10:00 am on 23 May and another march will be held in the Badda area on 28 May.

Earlier on Saturday, BNP announced countrywide rallies on 19, 20, 26 and 27 May to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-partisan neutral government and to protest against the arrest and harassment of party leaders and activists in ‘false cases'.

Speaking at the press conference, Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna turned down the prime minister’s comment on the formation of the election-time government with her political allies, saying it is a blueprint to confuse people.

"She (PM) has not proposed any interim government. She herself will remain in power...Our point is that this government must go. Then the internal government will be formed,” he observed.

About the issue, Saiful Haque said the indication given by the prime minister to form an election-time government with her political allies in the parliament under her leadership is not acceptable in any way." “Such a government is an extension of the current authoritarian oppressive regime.”

He said the ‘farcical’ polls in 2014 and 2018 have proved there is no scope to hold a free and fair election under the Awami League government.

“That is why we are continuing our efforts to intensify and expand the mass movement with opposition parties, including BNP, in a simultaneous manner based on our 14-points, including the resignation of the current government before the election, dissolution of the Parliament and establishment of the interim government,” Saiful said.