Hours of massive traffic congestion in and around Shahbagh crossing in Dhaka city occurred on Thursday when protesters, claiming themselves as July warriors and family members of uprising martyrs, blocked the crossing, demanding implementation of the July Charter and July Declaration.
The blockade of one of the busiest crossings in the city, which began at about 11:00am, brought all the more suffering to people due to daylong rain that intermittently intensified to downpours, and also because it was on the week’s last working day when pressure on the city streets remains usually high.
The blockade continued till filing of the report at 8:00pm.
The protest blocking the crossing particularly hurt patients, their attendants, physicians and other medical staff of the country’s two largest hospitals, Bangladesh Medical University and BIRDEM, which are located adjacent to the crossing.
A protester, Md Rafiq, said that July warriors and family members of uprising martyrs from across the country gathered at Shahbagh with three demands, including immediate implementation of the July Charter and July Declaration and incorporating the two documents in the constitution.
Kamrul Hasan, co-spokesperson of July Joddha Sangsad (July warriors’ platform), blamed the interim government saying that it was delaying the charter and the declaration.
‘What did the interim government do in the past one year? If they could not formulate them, they should resign,’ demanded Kamrul.
The protesters in the evening said that they would not leave the streets, and would continue staying there overnight, till their demands were met.
They also warned of waging a tougher movement to meet the demands.
They alleged that the government on different occasions pledged to formulate the charter and the declaration but did not keep the promise.  Â
A gathering of over 300 people blocked the Shahbagh crossing at about 11:00am halting vehicular movement at the crossing, said the police.
Building a makeshift stage there and chanting different slogans, the protesters pressed their demands.
They blocked each side of the crossing using police barricades and some of them were also seen engaged in heated exchanges with commuters.
A bike rider, Rokibul Islam, expressed his frustration over the blockade.
‘The city roads have become a place for public suffering caused by protests and blockades. Protesters should realise our suffering,’ said Rokibul.
Additional police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain security.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for Ramna division Masud Alam said that they tried to persuade the protesters to lift the blockade but were refused.
Law enforcers, however, removed the police barricades from the roads at about 5:45pm, after which the protesters themselves barricaded the roads.
Earlier on different occasions, July uprising protesters, including the injured ones, and families of uprising martyrs, took to the streets pressing for different demands.