Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
The banned Awami League on Friday staged another show of strength in Dhaka, its second in five days, with over a thousand activists marching from Nabisco to Tibet factory in Tejgaon chanting slogans for Sheikh Hasina and against the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
Tejgaon police chief Aslam Hossain said, “In the morning, some people came out at GME intersection. We didn’t allow them to march. One Chhatra League activist, Niamul Hasan, was detained. In the afternoon, Awami League supporters came out again in the Nabisco area. We are detaining them.”
An eyewitness said, “The Awami League brought out a procession with nearly 2,000 people,” adding that slogans such as “Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Hasina”, “If Sheikh Hasina returns, Bangladesh will smile” and “Remove Yunus, save the country” echoed through the streets.
One loyalist said, “There is no way to survive just by staying home… Today’s Dhaka North Awami League procession had a huge turnout. This illegal government is not letting anyone live in peace. Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leaders across the country are being harassed with false cases. We marched to protest this.” Separately, reports emerged of several hundred AL activists rallying in Dhanmondi. Police station chief Kyshainu Marma said, “Many people are sending me photos of the rally, but we are not yet certain. We are checking.”