Sohel Taj marches towards Gonobhaban to press home three demands
There was no formal announcement except on Facebook. Sohel Taj, the son of Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, in his Facebook account on Thursday announced a march from in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (parliament building) to Gonobhaban, the official residence of the Prime Minister at 4:00pm Sunday. Anyone can join him if they want.
He announced the march programme to press home three demands including marking the Jail Killing Day (3 November 1975) as a national day.
Around 50-60 people were already waiting in front of South Plaza of the Sangsad Bhaban near the Manik Mia Avenue before the scheduled time when Sohel Taj’s sister Mahjabeen Ahmed and lawyer Turin Afroz reached the spot. Sohel Taj reached the spot at around 4:15pm and began the march. At that time over 150 leaders and activists were with him.
Sohel Taj and his sister Mahjabeen were at the forefront of the march. Sohel Taj was holding a placard with three demands – announcing 10 April (Bangladesh Ganaparishad was formed on 10 April 1971) the Republic Day, 3 November Jail Killing Day has to be observed nationally, and the contributions and biographies of all of the important people, including the four national leaders, and true and complete history of Liberation War have to be included in all textbooks with due importance.
There was police protection in front of the march that took almost 30 minutes to reach the Gonobhaban gate through Aarong intersection. Around 50 plastic chairs were kept for the participants at the gate but no one sat.
Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s special assistant Biplab Barua took Sohel Taj and Mahjabeen to the guest room of the Gonobhaban’s main gate.
After staying at the at the guest room for seven minutes, Sohel Taj spoke to media. The former state minister for home affairs of Awami League said if there is any gap in the history of Liberation War, anti-liberation war forces will get the scope to fill that. Future generations must know real history if Bangladesh is to be made Golden Bangla.
He further said, “The prime minister is the only person who could implement the three demands. I have full faith in her.”