JOF rally in Suhrawardy Udyan on Oct 22

The Jatiya Oikya Front on Wednesday decided to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital on October 22 to present the political alliance’s views on the country’s overall situation, announce their next movement and protest against the murder of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology student Abrar Fahad.

The Oikya Front will also launch a mass signature campaign both at home and abroad demanding justice for Abrar and all the alliance partners would publish the petition on their respective party websites, said Gono Forum general secretary Reza Kibria at a press briefing after a meeting of the Oikya Front steering committee.

He said that the signatures would be put on display at various important points in the capital and subsequently at other big cities and towns.

The steering committee meeting of the Oikya Front held at the office of its leader Kamal Hossain at Motijheel in the capital, they discussed the current political situation and outlined a plan for future movements of the alliance, sources in the meeting said.

Oikya Front leader and Gono Forum president Kamal Hossain said the people were badly worried about the country’s situation. ‘People were witnessing dreadful incidents in the country. An innocent boy was beaten to death deliberately on his own campus.’

On whether they would still hold the public rally if the police denied permission as it happened in several previous occasions, he said, ‘We will act considering the situation. We will do our duties. But it should be made public that the government would violate the constitution if they deny us permission to hold the rally.’

‘The constitution allows for holding rallies and meetings and raising voices and considers them to be people’s basic rights. If the government violates the constitution, the people should force them to step down,’ Kamal Hossain said.

The meeting was also attended by Oikya Front leader and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD president ASM Abdur Rob, Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Ganosasthya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury and Gono Forum executive presidents Abu Sayeed and Subrata Chowdhury, among others.

Abrar was beaten to death allegedly by leaders and activists of ruling Awami League’s student associate body, Bangladesh Chhatra League, at his residential hall on

BUET campus for protesting against the seven deals and memorandums of understanding signed during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to India.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies had been opposing the deals and a number of memorandums of understanding signed between the two neighbours, terming them as ‘anti-state’ and demanding their cancellation.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net