Staff Reporter :
Different socio-cultural and human rights organisations, and transport owners and workers staged demonstrations and took out processions in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere on Saturday condemning the ongoing blockade and hartal, and urging the political parties to desist from violent politics in the greater interest of the people.
The National Human Rights Commission took out a procession titled ‘Rally for Peace’ from in front of the National Museum. Parading the Dhaka University campus, the procession was terminated at the National Shaheed Minar. Dr Mizanur Rahman, Chairman of the organisation, called upon all the political parties to stop violence. “I beg to all of you to stop violence. The democratic values should be ameliorated in you. You must respect absolute tolerance”, he said. He requested the RAB and Police to apply force with justice and maintaining human rights”, he said. To the blockaders, chairman of the human rights commission, said that the democratic movement did not mean violence and non-safety of people. All should acquire ‘good wits’ and ‘good plans’ to stop such insanity and cruelty, he continued. “Do not spoil the future of the 15 lakh SSC examinees,” he said adding “If you (BNP and its alliances) do politics for the people, please withdraw hartal and blockade.”
Professor Mahfuza Khanam and Kazi Reazul Haque, Members of the National Human Rights Commission, spoke on the occasion, among others. The leaders of the Bangladesh Paribahan Malik Sramik Oikkya Parishad (Bangladesh Road Transport Owners and Workers Alliance) called upon the hartal supporters to keep the transport sector out of hartal.
They requested the government to pay compensation to the victims transport owners and workers and release those owners from the interest of bank loans.
They made this request from a human chain programme held in front of the National Press Club yesterday noon.
Khandaker Enayet Ullah, Convener of the organisation, said that at least 15 innocent bus and truck workers had been killed and several others injured in the on-going violence. Several hundred transports torched. The leaders threatened of bringing out possession around residences of the blockaders unless the violence was stopped.
Development Activists Platform (DAP) held a human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday afternoon protesting the violence. The leaders of the organisation detailed the loss of lives and properties due to the strike and non-stop blockade and requested BNP and its alliances to withdraw their programmes.
Some SSC examines with their guardians took procession in front of the BNP Chairperson’s Party Office at Gulshan. They also submitted a memorandum to Khaleda Zia requesting her to withdraw the non-stop blockade and strike during the SSC examination.
One of them Parveen Akhter said that they would meet the Prime Minister today (Sunday) in this connection. In Magura, Sushashoner Jonney Procharobhizan, an organisation, arranged a human chain programme in the district town on Saturday morning. The organisation called upon all the political parties to refrain themselves from violent politics.
In Noakhali, an organisation under the banner of the general public, held a human chain and demonstration programmes against the violence in front of the Noakhali Press Club yesterday morning.
