Around a thousand people have gathered at Shahbagh around 5:00pm after Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (south) of the National Citizen Party, announced a blockade at the Shahbagh intersection demanding a ban on the Awami League (AL).
He made this announcement from a stage set up at the entrance of Minto Road this afternoon, reports The Daily Star.
Hasnat said, "Our voices do not reach the interim government. The cries of the martyrs do not reach them, the screams of the injured do not reach them."
"We will leave here and blockade Shahbagh. We will continue the blockade until a notification is issued banning the Awami League," he said.
A rally demanding a ban on the Awami League began around 2:00pm today near the Chief Adviser`s official residence. Around 4:30pm, the rally, led by Hasnat Abdullah, began to move towards Shahbhagh.
Earlier, around 12:30pm, protesters moved from in front of the Chief Adviser`s residence, Jamuna, to the main protest site, where a stage was set up.
By 2:00pm, students and citizens began gathering in response to a call from Hasnat Abdullah.
Meanwhile, police have set up barricades on the road from the direction of Hotel Intercontinental towards Kakrail Mosque, blocking vehicular movement.
People were chanting various slogans demanding a ban on the Awami League.
Addressing the gathering, NCP`s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari said, "After the Juma prayers, students and citizens would gather in front of the fountain and return home only after a resolution is reached."
Hasnat Abdullah said, "We will not leave the streets until the fascist, genocidal Awami League is declared a terrorist organisation, its registration is revoked, the party is banned, and a clear judicial roadmap is presented for their trial."
Leaders and activists from several Islamist parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami`s Dhaka South Secretary Shafiqul Islam Masud, were also present.
The demonstration follows a sit-in that began around 10:00pm last night in front of the Chief Adviser`s residence. That sit-in continued uninterrupted throughout the day, with participation from NCP supporters and members of allied parties.
