Ganajagaran Mancha on Wednesday declared that it would continue the
sit-in, began on Tuesday, in Shahbagh intersection, until the execution
of Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Molla.
The spokesman of the youth-led platform campaigning for the capital
punishment for all the 1971 war criminals, Imran H Sarkar, made the
announcement after the Appellate Division adjourned till this morning
the hearing on the acceptability of the petition of Quader seeking
review of the verdict in which the
highest court sentenced him to death.
‘We will return to home with victory procession after Quader Molla is hanged,’ said Imran.
Shipping and liberation war affairs minister Shahjahan Khan expressed his solidarity with the protesters.
‘If needed, I must take to the street pressing for execution of collaborators,’ he said addressing the sit-in.
The Mancha activists took to the street for the second time on Tuesday
night soon after the Appellate Division chamber judge had stayed the
execution of Quader.
A group of youths launched protests at Shahbagh on February 5 just after
the International Crimes Tribunal 2 sentenced Quader to imprisonment
for life term on charge of crimes against humanity. The protests flared
up across the country and the youth-led platform was formed.
The Appellate Division on September 17, after hearing appeals preferred
by both the government and Quader, revised the sentence to death
sentence.
A crude bomb was blasted on the adjacent road to Aziz Super Market. The
protesters caught and beat a youth identified as Md Rasel, 18, and
handed him over to the Shahbagh police. None was injured.
Rasel, a chatpati vendor, told New Age that he tried to escape the blast
at the moment and the Mancha activists had beaten him mistaking him for
a Shibir man.
Shahbagh police sub-inspector Robiul Islam said that Rasel was nabbed on
suspicion. Later, the Mancha activists came to the police station and
admitted that they beat him mistaking him for the attacker.
Among other socio-cultural and political organisations, Bangladesh
Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Bangladesh Chhatra Maitri,
Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and Udichi staged demonstration under the
banner of Ganajagaran Mancha. (source)