The two-day Dhaka-Chattogram road march by left political parties concluded on Saturday in Chattogram city, demanding a halt to any bid to involve foreign companies in Chittagong port’s management and condemning any plan allowing a ‘humanitarian corridor’ in the context of the Rohingya issue.Â
The protest march, held under the banner of ‘Anti-imperialism patriotic people’, concluded with a rally in front of the Chattogram port building.
The march, organised by the platform comprising over 50 left political parties and socio-cultural organisations, was led by senior leaders of left parties, including Communist Party of Bangladesh president Shah Alam and general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz.
At the concluding rally, Ruhin Hossain Prince said, ‘We undertook this road march from Dhaka to Chattogram to save the port and to protest against the Rakhine corridor plan. Along the way, we received spontaneous support from the people who expressed solidarity with our cause.’
Saying that the Chittagong port was a profitable and strategic national asset which must not be handed over to foreign entities under any circumstances, the CPB leaders warned that if the government did not distance itself from such attempts, tougher movements would be waged across the country after August 5.
Organisers iterated their position that involving foreign companies in the Chattogram port’s management would threaten national sovereignty and security, while the proposed ‘humanitarian corridor’ through Bangladesh for Rakhine would be a geopolitical move potentially risking the stability of the region.
The platform officially announced the two-day road march programme in Dhaka on June 21.
The road march began on Friday with a brief rally at Sonargaon in Narayanganj. By around 6:15pm, the protesters arrived at Cumilla’s Town Hall Ground and held a public gathering there. Later that night, the procession reached Feni around 11:00pm, marking the end of the first day.
On Saturday, the second day began at 9:30am with a procession from Hazari Road in Feni. From there, participants boarded vehicles and resumed the march towards Chattogram.
Along the way, they held roadside rallies in Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas, with local participating and expressing support. By the afternoon, the procession entered the Chattogram city and assembled at the Barik Building intersection. From there, they marched towards the port building, where the road march concluded with a rally.