Waves of bomb attacks have failed to break the spirit of activists in a campaign against communal violence.
Ganajagaran Mancha’s road march against attacks on religious minorities is about to enter Thakurgaon after braving past three phases of bomb attacks ever since it set out on Friday.
They were targeted once again when their vehicles entered Dinajpur.
Locals have responded to the road march by pouring their support into the Mancha’s road rallies, on Friday and Saturday.
The activists left Bogra at 8am Saturday, the second day of the three-day road march.
Mancha’s spokesperson Imran H Sarkar addressed the first road rally in Gaibandha’s Govindganj at 9pm Saturday.
The local units of Ganajagaran Mancha and Bangladesh Pooja Udjapan Parishad (celebration council) had erected the rally’s stage.
It was decided that the spokesperson will address the people from the vehicle for security reasons and to save time.
But supporters of Govindganj urged Imran to get down and take the stage.
Lucky Akhter too had to shout her fiery slogans for enthusiastic supporters who wanted to shout with her.
Hundreds of people lined the street to welcome the activists when their vehicles pulled up in Gaibandha’s Palashbarhi at 10am.
The Mancha supporters got down at the bus stand and walked to the Upazila’s Central Shaheed Minar.
Thousands of people present there vowed to protect Palashbarhi from communal attacks in the future.
The leaders of the protest platform then visited two houses torched by supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami after the hanging of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla in December last year.
The road march reached Rangpur’s Peerganj at 12pm where the locals were waiting at Peerganj High School ground with a stage.
The locals escorted the activists from their vehicles to the stage where a rally was held with thousands of students and regular people in attendance.
Locals at Mithapukur were waiting beside the street for the activists of Ganajagaran Mancha to arrive. The leaders got down there and took part in a rally.
The massive presence at the rally disrupted traffic on the road.
“Pakistan is the sanctuary for Jamaat-Shibir and war criminals. They come here to do business,” said Imran at the rally.
“They make profit from business and set our homes on fire. They kill and rape. They are our enemy and we must unite to combat them.”
The Ganajagaran convoy was escorted with motorcycles when it entered Rangpur town.
The march made a stop at Rangpur Medical College, where Imran Sarkar once studied. The students there gave the activists a rousing reception.
After lunching at a nearby community centre, the motorcade moved on to Rangpur Central Shaheed Minar, where thousands had gathered to take part in the rally.
People’s presence at Ganajagaran Mancha’s road rallies visibly increased with the exception of few on the second day of the march.
Source: UNBConnect
