The Democratic Student Alliance, a combine of seven student wings of left leaning political parties, on Tuesday held a protest march towards the chief adviser鈥檚 office, pressing for a five-point demand, including the withdrawal of the Value Added Tax recently imposed on over 100 commodities.
Their other demanded were justice for July massacre, guarantee of financial support to the families of the martyrs and proper treatment and rehabilitation of the injured in the student-led mass uprising among the five-point charter.
The five-point also included breaking the market syndicates and withdrawing recently imposed VAT to curb the prices of essential commodities; ensuring justice for the killings of workers and accepting their rightful demands; making public and cancelling all anti-national agreements made with imperialist and hegemonic countries, including India and the United States; and the withdrawal of military rule from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and establishment of a democratic environment.
The alliance began the march from the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University campus in the afternoon. Parading Shahbagh and Banglamotor crossings, the alliance ended the protest march with a brief rally at Minto Road after being barred by law enforcers.
Tamzid Haider Chanchol, organising secretary of Bangladesh Students Union, criticised the government for imposing VAT on over 100 commodities and failing to break the syndicates.
He said that the VAT must be lifted as it would lead to increase in the prices of daily essentials, leaving the common people in immense suffering.
Jabir Ahmed Jubel, general secretary of Revolutionary Student Unity, said that justice for July massacre and support to the families of the martyred and injured individuals must be ensured to uphold the uprising spirit.
Salman Siddiqui, president of Socialist Students鈥� Front, Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury, general secretary of Democratic Students鈥� Council, and Aungkon Chakma, president of Pahari Chattra Parishad, among others, spoke at the rally.