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| Bangladesh |
| Make country Razakar-free |
| 2013-03-08 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] The Suhrawardy Udyan, formerly Race Course Maidan where Bangabandhu delivered his historic March 7 speech, reverberated with anti-Razakar slogans yesterday. On the day in 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced to the thunderous roars of hundreds of thousands: "The struggle this time is for emancipation. The struggle this time is for independence." Forty-two years after that independence was won, the Shahbagh demonstrators on the same ground declared the struggle this time was to rid the country of Razakar and Jamaat-Shibir. Marking March 7, the protesters held the rally at the Shikha Chirantan at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, the 31st day of the movement. Once again, demonstrators urged the countrymen to resist Jamaat-Shibir in every neighbourhood. "March 7 is the inspiration of our sprit of unity and a guideline for our struggle.... Driven by this inspiration, we will continue our movement until our demands are met," said Imran H Sarker, spokesperson for the protest that began on February 5 demanding capital punishment to all war criminals. Marking the International Women's Day today, the protesters will organise a Nari Jagoron Samabesh (rally for awakening women) at the Shahbagh intersection, now popularly known as Projonmo Chattar. Imran called upon the women of different walks of life to join the rally and urged the garment owners and other organizations to allow a few hours' leave for all women employees to join the rally. The organisers will today announce the date, time and venues of rallies to be held in divisional cities outside Dhaka. Also, the deadline for the mass signature campaign has been extended till March 22. So far, 4.5 lakh signatures have been registered. Like in previous rallies, Imran administered an oath to the protesters, who vowed to continue the movement until their demands are met. Criticising the filing of a case against Imran over "disgracing the national flag", Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree President Bappadittya Bashu said, "Nothing happens when Jamaat-Shibir men burn the national flag down. But when we call for hoisting the flag, it is denigration of it." Demonstrators also slammed Jatiya Party ...aka Jatiya Front; a political party established by Bangladictator Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986 to lend a veneer of respectability to his rule. Since nobody was amused he was forced to resign by popular demand in 1990. The party remains in existence with about a dozen seats in Bangla's parliament... Chairman and former autocrat HM Ershad for giving "negative" comments about the Shahbagh movement. |
| Posted by:Fred |