National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam at a rally in Faridpur on Thrusday said that the party would bring out a long march to Gopalganj if Awami League hooligans, including those involved in Wednesday鈥檚 attack on their rally in the district town, were not arrested soon.
The rally, held at Faridpur town鈥檚 Janata Bank Mor on the 17th day of the NCP鈥檚 countrywide march, was part of the party鈥檚 ongoing programme to mark the first anniversary of the July uprising.
Nahid said, 鈥榃e defeated the hooligans of Mujibism on August 5. We are still allowing time to arrest those聽 hooligans peacefully and legally.鈥櫬�
鈥極therwise, we will soon hold a long march to Gopalganj and this time we will not hold the long march to make a comeback. We will only return after freeing the land and people of Gopalganj from Mujibism completely and forever,鈥� said Nahid at the rally.聽
Earlier, on Wednesday night, Nahid demanded that the attackers must be arrested within 24 hours after a series of clashes between members of law enforcement agencies and activists of the AL and its affiliates in Gopalganj district town over the NCP rally left at least four people dead and many injured.
Addressing the Faridpur rally, Nahid said, 鈥楪opalganj is still a shelter for fascists. 鈥e are with the general people of Gopalganj. We urge the government that not a single common person of Gopalganj must be harassed. But each of the fascists and hooligans must be arrested.鈥櫬犅�
Nahid was also a former central leader of the Students Against Discrimination movement that spearheaded the July uprising to oust the Awami League regime on August 5.
He raised concerns, saying that the hooligans of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations were not arrested, the arrestees were released from courts and the trial process was not progressing.
Indicating the associates of fascists and corrupt officials at different tiers of the administration, Nahid warned, 鈥榃e have taken to the streets demanding trials and we will not leave the streets before ensuring the trials.鈥�
Following the Wednesday attack in Gopalganj, a large number of police, Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Army and Border Guard Bangladesh members were deployed to ensure security for the Faridpur rally.
NCP leaders and activists staged a march from the Faridpur circuit house to Janata Bank Mor before the rally.聽
The NCP began its national-level march on July 1 from Rangpur by offering prayers for uprising martyr Abu Sayeed as part of its July 1- August 5 countrywide programme to mark the first anniversary of the uprising.
A group of student and youth leaders who led the uprising formed the NCP on February 28.
NCP leaders and activists, including the party鈥檚 member secretary Akhter Hossen, chief organiser for North Sarjis Alam, chief organiser for South Hasnat Abdullah, chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, senior joint convener Samanta Shermeen, senior joint member secretary Tasnim Jara and joint convener Anik Roy, among others, participated in the marches and rallies in Faridpur and Rajbari districts.
The NCP is scheduled to hold marches in all districts till July 30, demanding trial of the Awami League and its leaders for the massacres during the mass uprising, reforms in various sectors, and a new constitution aiming at building a discrimination-free Bangladesh.
The party leaders and activists will hold a march and a rally in Munshiganj district today.
