The mass rally demanding ban of Awami League has begun at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.
The demonstration, which started shortly after 3:00 PM, saw the participation of leaders and activists from Islami Chhatra Shibir, the newly formed political platform United Peoples Bangladesh (UP Bangladesh), the National Citizen Party (NCP), and several other organizations.
By around 3:30 PM, several key figures — including Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer of NCP’s southern region, Sarjis Alam of the northern region, Ali Ahsan Junayed from UP Bangladesh, and central Shibir leader Sibghatullah — took positions on the steps beneath a billboard at the Shahbagh intersection. They urged everyone to join the rally in an orderly manner and sit down on the road peacefully.
Addressing the gathering, Sarjis Alam said, “Today, we will hold the program under one microphone and one demand. No one should use separate sound systems.”
Earlier, from Thursday night through Friday noon, Hasnat Abdullah and members of NCP and allied groups held a sit-in in front of the Chief Adviser’s residence in Jamuna.
On Friday, from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM, they organized another sit-in and rally at the Minto Road intersection, near the fountain. That event included speeches from NCP leaders, members of various Islamist parties, and representatives of several platforms that have emerged around the July Uprising movement.
