A group of activists led by AL MP Trana Halim and Pijush Bandyopadhyay brought out a silent procession from the Gulshan 2 intersection and march towards Khaleda Zia’s office demanding the immediate withdrawal of hartal and blockade.
Police barred them before the Gulshan Model School and College, which is just yards away from the BNP chairperson’s office. A four-member team headed by Tarana Halim went in front of the Khaleda’s office and put up a banner holding the name of the 54 deceased who died in petrol bomb attacks from January 11 to February 17.
The banner was also inscribed with a question, ‘Khaleda how many dead bodies she want?’ Later they kept flowers under the banner to show tribute to the deceased.Tarana Halim told the reporters that they have put up the banner there to attract the attention of Khaleda Zia.
“After seeing the list she (Khaleda) may feel sad and then withdraw the blockade and hartal,” said Tarana Halim.
Meanwhile, people from different professions on Sunday formed a human chain at Gulshan-2 intersection in Dhaka protesting violence during the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s ongoing blockade and hartal.
Freedom fighters, students and teachers, cultural activist family members of the victim and day labourers formed the human chain around for around two hours which started at around 10:30pm.
Around 500 people carrying several types of placards, banners, and festoons with anti- violence, anti- hartal and blockade slogans took part in the human chain.
Noted cultural activists Syed Hasan Imam, Tarana Halim MP Tushar Khan, Chanchal Chowdhury and ruling party lawmaker and former foreign mister Dipu Moni among others took part in the human chain.
Using mega phpones, the participants said the country is engulfed with acts of criminality, all in the name of political programmes like hartal and blockade.
People do not want repetition of such violent and subversive acts in the name of hartal and blockade, the speakers said, adding that they want to see the end of such political programmes immediately.
Dipu Moni said it could not be a politics that one can burn a man. .She asked every one to be united against this kind of politics.
During the human chain, the participators performed two street dramas. – Staff Reporter
