Leftist parties on Wednesday demanded resignation of Home Minister MK Alamgir over police action and use of pepper sprays on the pro-hartal activists during the half-day hartal on Wednesday.
“The home minister must resign from his post for ordering police to carry out such attacks on the peaceful hartal activists,” Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mujahidul Islam Selim said at a press conference at his party office after the hartal.
He further added that if police have done so without the home minister’s permission, the police officials must be identified and punished.
Selim also announced to hold a joint rally with Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) in front of the Jatiya Press Club around 4:00pm on Thursday to protest today’s police action.
Meanwhile, Ganatantrik Bam Morcha also announced holding of a rally at the same venue at 3:30pm protesting the same issue.
Junaid Saki, coordinator of Ganatantrik Bam Morcha at a press conference at its party office in the city’s Mukti Bhaban announced the programme after the six-hour hartal.
Several left-leaning parties on January 9 called the countrywide six-hour shutdown protesting the recent hike in electricity and fuel prices.
Untoward incidents including chase and counter-chase between law enforcers and hartal supporters and use of pepper spray and water cannon by police took place in the capital during the general strike.
Several hartal supporters were injured got hurt in their eyes as the law enforcers used pepper spray to disperse the pro-hartal activists.
Source: The Daily Star
