‘Mass’ gathering called at Shahbagh on Saturday demanding Awami League ban

Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizen Party’s (NCP) south unit, has called for a “mass” gathering at Dhaka’s Shahbagh on Saturday to press home three demands, including a ban on the Awami League.

While announcing the new programme at the Shahbagh intersection on Friday night, he said: “Our sit-in for the three-point demand will continue [Saturday].

“At 3pm, we will hold a mass gathering at Shahbagh.”

Hasnat added, “Wherever the July movement has taken place, we are announcing mass gatherings in those locations. We will not leave Shahbagh until our demands are fulfilled.

“[On Saturday], we will expose the persecution and repression carried out by the Awami League.”

Their demands include declaring the Awami League and all its affiliated organisations as terrorist groups and banning them, incorporating provisions in the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act to enable group trials of the party, and issuing the July proclamation.

Speaking at the blockade in Shahbagh, Hasnat said: “We began our sit-in at 10pm last night. We do not know how or when this programme will end. It will continue until the Awami League is banned.”

Protesters remained in Shahbagh following the announcement of the new programme.

Expressing solidarity, Raiyan Ferdous, the Bangladesh Democratic Students Union chief organiser, told bdnews24.com: “We will stay here overnight. Our sit-in will continue.”

The protest began after a Facebook post by Hasnat at 10pm on Thursday, following the departure of former president Abdul Hamid from the country.

In the post, he called for a sit-in outside the chief advisor’s residence State Guest House Jamuna, where a group of demonstrators later gathered.