‘Mass’ gathering at Shahbagh demanding Awami League ban

A "mass" gathering is under way at Dhaka’s Shahbagh demanding the ban of the Awami League along with two other demands.

The demonstration began around 3pm on Saturday at the key Shahbagh intersection, drawing participation from the National Citizen Party (NCP), Islami Chhatra Shibir, United People’s Bangladesh (UP), and several groups involved in the July Uprising.

Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organiser of the NCP’s southern unit, announced the protest at a press conference on Friday night during an ongoing blockade in Shahbagh.

Although the initial turnout was low, the crowd grew larger after 4pm.

Among those present were NCP leader Hasnat, the party’s northern region organiser Sarjis Alam, and UP Bangladesh’s convenor Ali Ahsan Junaid.

Separate protest programmes by several political parties have also continued at Shahbagh since Friday afternoon, demanding the Awami League’s ban.

Around 12pm on Saturday, the gathering appeared smaller than on Friday, but the intersection remained fully blocked, halting traffic movement in all directions.

Ambulances, however, were being allowed through, according to protester Fahim Hossain.

“We will continue our protest until Awami League is banned. People are facing difficulties, but the sooner the government makes a decision, the better it will be for the public,” he told bdnews24.com.

Protesters shouted slogans such as “Ban the Awami League now,” “Find League, send them to jail,” “Ban, ban, Awami League,” “One demand, one goal, League not come back,” “One, two, three, four, Chuppu leave your throne,” “Cancel Awami League’s registration,” and “Delhi or Dhaka? Dhaka Dhaka.”

Earlier, on Thursday night, as discussions swirled around former president Md Abdul Hamid’s departure from Bangladesh, a group of protesters led by Hasnat staged a sit-in outside Muhammad Yunus’s residence.

The protest drew solidarity from Jamaat-e-Islami, AB Party, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Hifazat-e Islam, and student groups involved in the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.

After Friday prayers, they set up a stage at the Minto Road entry point and held a rally, carrying placards and banners demanding a ban on the Awami League.

From there, Hasnat announced the blockade at Shahbagh, which has since brought traffic in the area to a halt.

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.”

In addition to the call for banning the Awami League, the protesters demanded necessary provisions in the law for the July proclamation and the trial of the party in the International Crimes Tribunal.