Clockwise from top left, Dhaka Metropolitan Police officers in riot gear take position outside the BNP office at Naya Paltan; police beat up Ganosamhati Andolan coordinator Zonayed Saki during a clash between Left Democratic Alliance activists and cops; and Ganatantra Uddhar Andolan, a platform of several opposition parties, holds a rally at the Matsya Bhaban crossing during protests marking the first anniversary of December 30 elections in Dhaka on Monday. — New Age photo
The government on Monday obstructed holding of rallies and processions in the capital and elsewhere the country as most of the opposition political parties and groups observed democracy killing day with calls for restoration of voting rights and holding a free, fair and credible general elections at the earliest.
Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party failed to hold a scheduled rally in front of its central office at Naya Paltan in the capital claiming that the police did not permit to hold it.
Huge contingents of police, both in uniform and plainclothes, were deployed in riot gears, equipped with armoured vehicle and prison van since morning on Monday around BNP central office and from Kakrail to Fakirapul crossing in the capital.
Police also obstructed most of the centrally declared rallies and processions of BNP at several district headquarters, according reports received from districts said.
More than 50 activists, including Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, were wounded in police action in Dhaka.
The opposition parties took the agitation programme to observe ‘democracy killing day,’ denouncing the 30 December 2018 general election that witnessed widespread rigging and ousting of opposition agents from polling centres.
The ruling Awami League, however, observed the day as ‘Victory Day of Democracy’ commemorating the party’s landslide win in the 11th parliamentary elections.
BNP, however, hoisted black flags at all its offices across the country and leaders and activists of the party wore black badges protesting against what the party called the ruling Awami League’s snatching the people’s voting rights by stuffing ballots on the night following December 29, 2018, hours before beginning the 11th national elections.
Arrest of and attacks on opposition activists as well as candidates, lodging fictitious cases against them and even against deceased and physically disabled opposition activists, and police raids at their homes were common after announcing the national election schedule.
Against the backdrop of Monday’s development, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in a press briefing in Dhaka alleged that police ‘obstructed’ their rally and they would stage demonstration at all the thana areas of the capital on Tuesday protesting against police obstruction.
He alleged that law enforcers had taken position in front of their party office and its adjacent areas, roads and alleys since morning to foil the scheduled rally programme. ‘Even, they created a war-like situation in Naya Paltan area.’
He said that Awami League could hold rallies and meetings anytime, anywhere but the opposition parties now had no right to do so as the entire country has turned into an ‘empire’ of the AL.
‘There is one person-centered democracy now in Bangladesh where Sheikh Hasina is enjoining the highest freedom of expression while the opposition leaders and activists and dissidents have become subhuman due to her misrule,’ he said.
Responding to reporters at a press briefing at Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters in the morning, the metropolitan police commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said that they did not give BNP permission to hold any rally and that the police would not allow any political programme blocking the road on working days.
BNP standing committee members at a meeting last week decided to observe December 30 as the ‘democracy-killing day’.
The police did not allow BNP leaders and activists in Barishal city to bring out a procession from their office at Ashwini Kumar Hall while BNP leaders and activists in Feni town had to shorten their rally at Zero Point in the face of police obstruction.
In other incidents, police in Dhaka also foiled a march of Left Democratic Alliance towards Prime Minister’s Office protesting against farcical general election of December 30.
More than 50 activists, including Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, were wounded in the police attack. Police also picked up four activists of the organisation.
The LDA, a combine of eight left leaning political parties, observed the day ‘black day’ and took countrywide protest programmes to mark the day.
As central programme, LDA held a protest rally in front of the National Press Club and then started their march towards the Prime Minister’s Office.
Police took attempt to stop the marchers carrying black flags first at the intersection in front of the foreign ministry and then in front of High Court main gate.
Finally, police stopped the matchers near Matsya Bhaban putting barricade and charged baton to disburse them and forced them to stop the march.
Ganosamhati chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Huq, garment labour leader Monzur Moin, Naima Khaled Monika, student leader Nasir Uddin Prince, hawker leader Hazrat Ali, Susmita Moriun, Sumaia Soma and over 40 activists of different left political parties were wounded in police attacks.
Most of the wounded were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Some of the wounded were admitted to DMCH and others were released after first aid.
Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mujahidul Islam Selim said at the rally held prior to the march that the Awami League government was illegal as they had come to power in a farcical general election.
Zonayed Saki called on all the left and democratic political forces to take to streets to wage anti-government movement.
Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Huq, Socialist Party of Bangladesh central leader Bazlur Rashid Firoj, United Communist League general secretary Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, SPB(Marxist) central leader Alamgir Hossain Dulal, Democratic Revolutionary Party general secretary Mushrefa Mishu and Samajtantrik Andolan convener Hamidul Haque spoke at the rally presided over by alliance coordinator Abdullah Kafee Ratan chaired.
The metropolitan Police’s Ramna division deputy commissioner Sazzadur Rahman said that they put barricade at Matshya Bhaban area to stop the left activists but they attacked the police at the place while a number of cops were injured.
He said that three police personnel were hospitalised.
Different political parties condemned the police attack on the march of the LDA and demanded punishment of the attackers in a separate press statement.
Newly floated platform Students’ Unity against Violence also staged demonstration on Dhaka University campus protesting against police attack on LDA procession.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam in a statement condemned the attack.
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Front also held a protest rally in front of Press Club, with black flags.
The combine had announced countrywide demonstration programme today protesting the police attack. Centrally, it would hold a rally in front of Press Club at 4:00pm on the day, according to a press release.
Ganatantra Uddhar Anolan, a newly launched platform, held a separate rally beside Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy denouncing the farcical last general elections, with platform coordinator and Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna in the chair.
Several hundred activists of the opposition alliance joined the rally wearing black badges and carrying festoons and black flags.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD president ASM Abdur Rob at the rally said that Awami League government had no right to remain in power as they had come to power with rigging vote and people did not support them.
Referring the failures of the government to ensure good governance in the country, Rob called on the government to resign immediately.
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum convener jurist Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said the Awami League seized the voting rights of the people.
The people wanted restoration of democratic rule in the country, he said.
Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul said there was no rule of law in the country and the government had seized democratic rights of the people. ‘We want restoration of voting rights of the people,’ he said.
Photographer Shahidul Alam said they wanted a free, fair and credible general elections so that people could elect member of the parliament as per their choice.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Shaukat Mahmood urged the opposition political parties to start single-point movement vigorously to compel the government to resign.
Another BNP leader Fazlur Rahman, also a former student leader, said people had not joined the Liberation War for a country without democracy.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna called on the government to fulfil the 11-pont demands of the nationalised jute mill workers.
In Sylhet, Awami League held a rally and brought out procession on Monday to celebrate one year of completion of the incumbent government since holding of the December 30 polls, according to New Age correspondent in Sylhet.
Source: New Age.