Leftist parties demand release of Fakhrul, other BNP leaders

The Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) has demanded the release of the arrested BNP leaders, including the party's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. 

Mirza Fakhrul and the party's Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas were picked up Thursday midnight and later shown arrested in a case filed over the party's clash with police at Nayapaltan on Wednesday.

In a press conference Friday (9 December), the leaders of left parties said that the government is snatching the civil rights by obstructing the public meetings, rallies and processions.

They also put forward a set of demands including allowing political parties to hold peaceful meetings, ensuring punishment of those responsible for the death of a person during the BNP-police clash in Nayapaltan and providing compensation to the victim's family.

In a written speech at the press conference, CPB General Secretary and coordinator of the left alliance Ruhin Hossain Prince said, "The Awami fascist government is continuously snatching the constitutional rights of the people by obstructing the meetings, rallies and processions." 

The left alliance also announced the programme to observe nationwide protest and demonstration on 13 December. 

Bazlur Rashid Firoz, central leader of the left alliance and general secretary of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Basad); Revolutionary Communist League leader Abdus Sattar, Basad (Marxist) coordinator Masud Rana, Democratic Revolutionary Party General Secretary Mushrefa Mishu, Executive President of Socialist Movement Abdul Ali, CPB Assistant General Secretary Mihir Ghosh and other leftist leaders were present at the press conference.