DE News Desk :
Protesters demanding the trial and formal ban of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) staged a blockade at the Shahbagh intersection on Friday, with authorities from Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) providing drinking water and spraying water to help hydrate demonstrators amid sweltering heat.
The protest, led by the National Citizen Party (NCP), followed a rally near the official residence of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the Jamuna area after Jumma prayers.
NCP’s chief organiser for the southern region, Hasnat Abdullah, declared the blockade as part of what he described as a continued struggle for justice following the July uprising that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Participants included students, individuals injured in the July uprising, and leaders and activists from several political and Islamist organisations, including Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Inquilab Mancha, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangshad, and Amar Bangladesh Party.
The protesters began occupying the Shahbagh intersection around 5:00 PM, demanding immediate government action to ban the Awami League and initiate legal proceedings against its leaders.
Speaking at the rally, Hasnat Abdullah expressed frustration over the delay in action despite the nine months that have passed since the former ruling party was ousted.
“It is a national disgrace that we still have to demand justice and a ban on the Awami League,” he said.
He added that the Chief Adviser was reportedly working to convene an all-party meeting to build consensus on the issue, but emphasized that the voices of the July uprising victims and their families must be central to any such discussions.
Calling on all anti-authoritarian political forces, Hasnat urged them not to allow what he called the “closed chapter” of the Awami League to be reopened.
He accused the interim government of failing to respond adequately to the demands of the July uprising victims.
Hasnat declared that the blockade would continue until an official gazette notification is issued banning the Awami League.
“The second phase of our uprising will begin from Shahbagh,” he warned.
The call for the rally was made earlier Friday morning during an ongoing sit-in protest outside the Chief Adviser’s residence, which began Thursday night.
Hasnat and NCP convener Nahid Islam also used social media to rally support, urging those who had taken part in the July uprising to return to the streets following the departure of former President Abdul Hamid to Thailand.