Movement needed to establish the rights of people: Manna

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the convener of the Nagorik Oikko, has called for a movement to establish the rights of the people of Bangladesh.

He made the remarks at a protest rally, organised by Nagorik Oikko to demand justice for the recent attack on him, in front of the National Press Club on 31 October morning.

"I think a new journey of unity has started from today's rally. But even if there is one hundred such unity, it will not work unless that unity is the real work. There must be unity of the movement, which can build a new Bangladesh," said Mahmudur Rahman.

"It is not the unity to remove one party and put another party in power," he added.

He also urged everyone to take to the streets with the slogan 'Gonotontro mukti pak, shoirachar nipat jak" (liberate democracy, destroy dictatorship) on November 10, which is Shaheed Noor Hossain Day.

On 19 October, Manna's vehicle was vandalized in Narayanganj's Rupganj.

Jafrullah Chowdhury, founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, who attended the rally among others, said, "No one in the country is safe. Everyone is scared. The state needs fundamental change. Otherwise, none of us will be able to live in the country safely after a while. Murder, disappearance and torture will become daily occurrences."

Dilara Chowdhury, former professor of political science at Jahangirnagar University, said, "The government is talking about women's development, but now there is no security for women in the country."

Zonaed Saki, chief coordinator of Gonoshonghoti Andolon, said, "A man was beaten to death and set on fire in Lalmonirhat. There is a legal process to judge whether religion has been insulted or not. Such an incident is not a 'good sign' for any country."

BNP mayoral candidate in the Dhaka South City Corporation election, Ishraq Hossain, former VP of Dhaka University Student Parliament, Nurul Haque Nur, and many others addressed the rally.