Students gather at Zero Point, raising anti-fascism slogans amidst heightened tension
No incidents of violence have been reported so far
On Sunday, demonstrators from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered at Zero Point in the capital’s Gulistan, chanting slogans to oppose the "fascist Awami League."
The protesters began arriving early in the morning at Noor Hossain Square, demanding that the Awami League, recently ousted from power, be held accountable for mass killings during the July-August movement.
This demonstration followed an announcement on Awami League’s Facebook page, where the party planned a rally in the area at 3 p.m. to commemorate Noor Hossain Day and call for the "restoration of democracy."
In response, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops were deployed around Awami League's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue and Zero Point, near the Bangladesh Secretariat, alongside police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to ensure tight security.
At the Awami League office, police were seen detaining individuals suspected of being affiliated with the party.
A police officer on duty mentioned, "Several suspected individuals have been detained, though the exact number is not confirmed."
Our correspondent, visiting the scene on Sunday morning, observed that students from various universities had gathered at Zero Point since 11 a.m. They chanted slogans such as "In my golden Bengal, there's no place for fascism," "Down with every League, bring them down one by one," "We’ve shed blood, we’ll shed more blood," and "We want justice, justice!"
One student, identified as Naimur, said, "The party and government that have taken fascism to the extreme in this country, those who have killed my brothers and sisters, deserve no mercy. We do not want any League, and that’s why we are here today."
The protesters remained steadfast, demanding justice and calling for an end to what they described as the rising fascist tendencies in the country’s politics.
No violence has been reported so far.
On November 10, 1987, Noor Hossain, a Jubo League activist, was killed by police during a protest against the autocratic rule of Ershad. He wore slogans on his chest and back reading "Down with autocracy" and "Let democracy be freed."
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