There are signs of revival of the Ganajagaran Manch on news that the verdict for Jamaat-e-Islami founder Prof. Ghulam Azam on charges of war crimes in 1971 is due.International Crimes Tribunal-1 will deliver on today the judgement on Azam, who led the radical party during the nation’s War of Independence.
Shahbagh-based Manch spokesperson Imran H Sarkar told journalists on Sunday: “Supporters of Ganajagaran Manch will gather at Shahbagh after Iftar on Sunday. It (the gathering) will continue until Monday.”
“This is our pre- announced programme. We’ve long been saying that we’ll be staying at Shahbagh from a day before any verdict on a (suspected) war criminal until the verdict is announced.”
Young people came down the streets on Feb 5 rejecting the life sentence against Jamaat leader Abdul Kader Molla as they believed the punishment was too lenient.
The movement that soon spread everywhere in the country later started demanding capital punishment to all war criminals and a ban on the Jamaat.
The continuous sit-in against the accused in war crimes and the Jamaat-e-Islami came to an end on Feb 21 but the programme to occupy Shahbagh before verdict for any of the accused continues.
Ganajagaran Manch will stage the sit-in the day before Azam’s verdict as part of the programme.
Azam is accused of being the most prominent figure who had collaborated with the Pakistani Army in 1971 in the genocide of Bengalis.
The 90 year-old is accused of five offences including conspiracy and instigation to commit crimes against humanity and collaboration with the occupation Army during the war.
The Authorities have heightened security measures across the capital after a tribunal said it will deliver a verdict on war crimes charges against former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam on Monday.
Jamaat has called a nationwide daylong strike for Monday hours after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 announcement.
A group of suspected Jamaat activists attacked police in the capital Dhaka, smashed and torched several vehicles.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman said adequate security measures were in place to avert any unpleasant incident.
He said close-circuit cameras would be set up at important points. “We will work with enough capacity to tackle any type of anarchy,” he said.
– bdnews24.com
