AL, allies take to streets to protest at Khaleda remarks

The ruling Awami League-led alliance on Monday formed a human chain protesting against what it said derogatory remarks by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia over the war of independence and continued conspiracy being hatched by Pakistan against Bangladesh.
The city commuters faced intense sufferings as traffic on the road— stretching from Gabtali to Jatrabari— turned virtually standstill for couple of hours starting around 4:00pm, due to the human chain.
Leaders and activists of Awami League and its partners gathered at Gabtali, Shyamoli, Asad Gate, Dhanmondi 27 no. Road, Russel Square, Green Road, Bashundhara, Sonargaon hotel intersection, Shahbag, Matsya Bhaban, Press Club, Paltan, Noor Hossain Square, Bangabandhu Square, Gulistan Park, Ittefaq Intersection, Rajdhani Market, Sayedabad, and Jatrabari intersection to form the human chain.
The gridlock also spread to its connectng roads and avenues as the leaders and activists of the aliance started arriving at those points at 2:00pm.
Mizanur Rahman, hailing from Comilla, told New Age in front of National Press Club around 4:00pm that he was coming from Jatrabari but the bus stopped moving at Gulistan because of the gathering. He was going to visit his relatives at Mirpur.
‘Like me, most of the passengers got off the buses and start walking towards their respective destinations as they sensed a prolonged gridlock,’ he said.
The snarled up traffic in both directions caused terrible troubles to the officials and employees of the government and private institutions as they attempted to return homes after 5:00pm onwards.
Addressing the human chain at Russel Square, senior AL leader Tofail Ahmed said that Pakistan wanted to make Bangladesh a failed state and that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia extended her hands to Islamabad to materialise that dream.
He said that the people those who made derogatory and controversial remarks about the war of independence and the figure of martyred should be treated as the enemy of Bangladesh.
AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim, addressing the human chain at Bangabandhu Avenue  said that all conspiracies cooked up by the 1971 defeated forces were meant for saving  the war criminals from the ongoing trial.
He said that the alliance would form human chain across the country on February 24 to mobilise public opinion against the defeated forces.
Another presidium member Obaidul Quader said at Asad Gate that Pakistan has been hatching conspiracy against Bangladesh out of jealousy as this nation is developing rapidly.

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