‘Don’t come forward or will kill you’: Threats to police alleged at Gazipur procession

Leaders and activists of Jubo League, the youth wing of the activities-banned Awami League, held a protest march in Gazipur on Sunday morning to mark the party’s founding anniversary.

The march was held under the banner of Gazipur City Jubo League around 6:30 am in front of Columbia Garments in the city.

A video of the incident, which surfaced on social media this morning, shows the protesters issuing threats to police officials. In the footage, activists are heard shouting at the approaching police, “Hey, don’t you dare come forward. Not a single one of you. We will kill you, we will kill you. Don't come forward.”

Harunur Rashid, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Basan police station, told Prothom Alo, “We have seen the video. We are verifying whether it is from today or a previous incident.”

According to the footage, a group of 20 to 30 people began the march in front of a business named Shakil Enterprise on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. The banner they carried read, “May the 77th founding anniversary of Bangladesh Awami League on 23 June be successful,” and “The illegal ban imposed on Bangladesh Awami League must be withdrawn.”

The banner featured images of the ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Gazipur City Jubo League convener, Kamrul Ahsan Sarkar.

The protesters were seen heading towards the Gacha area, chanting various slogans. As several police members approached the procession from the opposite side of the highway, some of the marchers began shouting threats at them.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md. Israil Howlader told Prothom Alo that they have received information that the march took place this morning. Police are already working on the matter, he added.