'March for Unity' programme ends; students demand July Proclamation by 15 Jan
The student leaders also said the next elected government would write the new Constitution. There will be a Constituent Assembly. They will draft the charter and give the final approval
Highlights:
- Declare July Proclamation by 15 Jan
- Next elected government will write new Constitution
- Constituent Assembly must be formed to draft, approve Constitution
- Hasina and her accomplices must be tried
- Students won't leave streets till New Bangladesh built together, they say
The March for Unity programme ended at the Central Shaheed Minar today (31 December), around four hours after it had began, seeing a participation of thousands of people.
As stated, the the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and National Citizen's Committee leaders did not declare a proclamation. However, at the event, student leaders demanded that the interim government announce the July Proclamation by 15 January.
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They also said the next elected government would write the new Constitution.
"There will be a Constituent Assembly. They will draft the charter and give the final approval,"
Speaking at the event, Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the National Citizens' Committee, said, "There will be a Constituent Assembly [Gono Parishad]. They will draft the charter and give the final approval."
Students began gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar in the morning in response to the mass gathering announcement made in the early hours today.
At 4pm, a minute of silence was observed in memory of those killed in the July mass uprising. Later, the student organisation started a rally following an address by Md Abul Asad, father of a martyr.
'What is home affairs adviser doing?'
At the event, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Coordinator Mahin Sarkar asked what Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Mohammad Jahangir was doing as July murderers were yet to be tried and prices of goods had shown no signs of decreasing.
"We did not come here with any specific demand. Despite having clear footage and evidence, why are the murder police and administrators not being tried?"
He asked why the prices had not decreased yet, adding there were attacks on students in different places, but no police action had been taken.
"I want to know what the home affairs adviser is doing [about these things]," he said.
National Citizens' Committee Chief Organiser Sarjis Alam said, "Murderers and terrorists are roaming around. We want to call on the interim interim government to ensure justice for the genocide."
He added, "We want freedom from syndicates. We want the return of the smuggled money, we want the prices of goods within reach. We also want proper treatment for the injured."
Rifat Rashid, another coordinator, said a mass uprising had taken place, but Sheikh Hasina and her accomplices are yet to be tried.
"The fugitive murderer Hasina in India must be brought home and justice must be ensured. The students will not leave the streets until they build a new Bangladesh together," he said.
We comrades have gathered here to unite. I have no regrets about losing my leg...but I demand justice for those who martyred my brothers
Groups of students arrived in processions from different parts of the country, carrying the national flag, and upon reaching Shaheed Minar, some began chanting slogans, reports local media.
The programme began at 3pm.
One of the participants of the gathering Imran Hossain, who lost his leg during the July uprising said, "We comrades have gathered here to unite. I have no regrets about losing my leg...but I demand justice for those who martyred my brothers."
The call to gather was made earlier at 1:45am by the student leaders.
The gathering follows an earlier announcement by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens' Committee to host a programme titled "Proclamation of the July Revolution" at the Shaheed Minar today.
However, the proclamation programme was postponed after the interim government announced its initiative last night (30 December) to prepare a proclamation for the July mass uprising.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement later pressed forward with its plans for the 'March for Unity.'
Speaking at the event during the early hours today, the platform's Chief Organiser Hannan Masud said, "We revolutionaries will gather at the central Shaheed Minar as per our previous announcement. The [proclamation] declaration will come from the government, but that will not stop us from gathering."
Following the government's announcement, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens' Committee held separate meetings at their offices in the capital's Banglamotor last night to make decisions on the matter.
Several leaders of the National Citizens' Committee told TBS that during their meeting, it was decided to suspend the programme at Shaheed Minar. Subsequently, a delegation of the Committee met with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement to explain the situation.
