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| Bangladesh |
| Police foil rallies against sculptures |
| 2008-10-25 |
| Police yesterday prevented three Islamist outfits from holding their scheduled anti-sculpture rallies near Zia International Airport and Baitul Mukarram mosque in the capital. The activists of the outfits failed to take to the streets and stage demonstrations as a large number of police and intelligence personnel were deployed in those places preventing them from coming out of mosques after Juma prayers. However, the activists at the mosques chanted slogans against installation of sculptures at roundabouts and demanded installation of Hajj Minars at intersections of the city where there are statues. Biman Bandar Gol Chattar Murti Pratirodh Committee, a committee against sculptures at the Airport intersection, had scheduled an anti-sculpture rally after Juma prayers near the airport yesterday. The roundabout at the Airport intersection had five statues of Bauls (folk singers) which were removed following protest from an Islamist group. Police on Thursday asked them not to hold the demonstrations as it would be a violation of the Emergency Power Rules, 2007. Police said around 650 policemen were deployed at the Airport intersection since yesterday morning. Over 300 policemen were also deployed outside Baitul Mukarram mosque to avert any untoward incidents as a few Islamist groups demanded construction of a Hajj Minar at the Airport intersection. Witnesses said police prevented people from entering the hajj camp mosque for Juma prayers and only allowed hajj pilgrims. Activists of the committee could not enter the hajj camp area as there were police barricades. Police also prevented 300 activists inside Babus Salam Jam-e mosque from coming out and taking part in the agitation programme. Chief of the committee Noor Hossain Nurani was seen very angry with committee activists as they failed to hold the rally. Failing to hold the rally, leaders of the committee criticised the role of police and demanded that the government remove all sculptures set up at road intersections in the country. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shakti and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan tried to stage separate demonstrations in the Baitul Mukarram mosque area after Juma prayers. Witnesses said the activists of the groups did not dare to take to the streets seeing the presence of a large number of law enforcers. They, however, chanted slogans against sculptures staying on the mosque premises. Paltan police said the activists were asked to leave since police had imposed a ban on such programmes. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Do keep an eye out on http://bauliana.blogspot.com for updates on this evolving crisis |
| Posted by: jAH bAULIANA 2008-10-25 10:07 |