Protests against the July 9 killing of a trader allegedly by the activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party affiliated organisations near Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital flared up in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country on Saturday.
Different political parties, student organisations and students of different universities across the country protested at the murder of Lal Chand, also known as Mohammad Sohag, and sought justice by staging demonstrations and issuing statements.
The protesters alleged that the BNP had failed to control the party leaders and activists involved in extortion and violent activities, for which Lal Chand was murdered.
They also blamed the interim government and the law enforcement agencies鈥� failure to control the law and order situation.听听听
Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal president M Monayem Munna, in a press conference jointly organised by Juba Dal, Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at the BNP central office in Dhaka on Saturday, blamed administrative failure for the deterioration of the law and order situation that led to the murder.
Victim Lal Chand, 39, also an activist of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, the youth front of the BNP, was killed on the spot when a group of assailants indiscriminately hit him with stones and hacked him on July 9.
Three BNP-affiliated organisations, Juba Dal, Chhatra Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal, expelled five members of their organisations on Friday for their alleged involvement in the murder.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami鈥檚 Dhaka south city unit held a rally in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zuhr prayers.
Jamaat central executive council member Rafiqul Islam Khan, addressing the rally, apparently meaning the BNP, said that all knew who continued extortion and killing across the country after the fall of the Awami League regime.
(1) North South University students, (2) BRAC University students, (3) East West University students, (4) Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital students and (5) Eden Girls College students hold protest rallies on their respective campuses in Dhaka, (6) The Democratic Students鈥� Alliance brings out a procession at Dhaka 听University Dhaka, (7) The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami brings out a procession in front of the Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka, (8) the National Citizen Party鈥檚 youth wing Jatiya Juba Shakti holds a rally at Andarkilla in Chattogram, and (9) Jamaat-backed Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir brings out a procession in Chattogram city on Saturday, protesting against murder of scrap trader Lal Chand by Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal leaders near Mitford Hospital and countrywide extortion. 鈥� Sony Ramani, Focus Bangla photos
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He called on the people to stand against the extortionists and murderers.
He criticised the interim government for not taking action against them.
After the rally, the party brought out a procession that ended at Shahbagh.听
Students Against Discrimination held a press conference in the morning and brought out a torch procession at Shahbagh in the evening.
Addressing the press conference, SAD president Rifat Rashid said that extortion and violence were carried out under the patronisation of a political party.
He asked the BNP not to follow the path of the ousted Awami League.
If otherwise, he said, people would throw BNP as they did for the Awami League during the July uprising.
The Dhaka south city unit of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir held a rally and brought out a procession from Jagannath University in Old Dhaka protesting against the murder.
Addressing the Bangladesh Students鈥� Rights Council鈥檚 protest rally on the Dhaka University campus, its president Bin Yamin Mollah slammed the BNP for its party leaders鈥� involvement in extortion and killings.
He said that the BNP could not avoid the responsibility of the crimes committed by the party leaders and activists. 听听
Democratic Students鈥� Alliance, Jatiya Jubashakti, Bangladesh Students鈥� Union, and Socialist Students鈥� Front separately protested at the killing and demanded immediate arrest of and exemplary punishment for the murderers.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal鈥揓asad in separate statements condemned the murder and demanded exemplary punishment for the murderers.
A group of Jagannath University students under the platform of Jagannath University Students鈥� Forum staged a demonstration at Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka condemning the rising trend of killings, sexual violence, extortion, and criminal activities across the country.
The police said that the law enforcement agencies arrested five people so far in the Lal Chand murder case, filed with Kotwali police station in Dhaka.
Students of different private universities, including North South University and BRAC University in the capital also staged demonstrations demanding justice for Lal Chand.
Students of different educational institutions in several districts including Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Natore, and Khulna also staged demonstrations protesting at the murder.
On Friday night, students from various universities, including Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Jagannath University, Eden Mohila College and Jahangirnagar University also staged demonstrations demanding the arrest of and exemplary punishment for the killers.