Civil society leaders, under the banner of “Agitated Citizen Community,” on Thursday announced a procession called “Droho Yaatra” to be held in front of the National Press Club at 3pm on Friday.
Rishad Farid, a professor at the Department of Economics of Dhaka University, made the announcement when they gathered in front of the office of the Detective Branch (DB) of police.
During the gathering, the speakers criticized the arrest and harassment of the protesting students.
On the other hand, visual artists gathered at Farmgate failing to hold a rally on Manik Mia Avenue in front of the National Parliament at 11am. Police stopped them at the Khamarbari intersection around 10:45am. At exactly 11am, heavy rain began, adding another layer of difficulty.
Yet, neither the police nor the rain could suppress the artists' resolve. They all shared a common demand: justice for the murders and an end to the killings. They also expressed solidarity with the nine-point demands of the students.
Those present at the program included Mamunur Rashid, Mosharraf Karim, Azmeri Haque Badhon, Sabila Noor, Ashfaq Nipun, Nurul Alam Atique, Amitabh Reza, Piplu R Khan, Shibu Kumar Shil, Redoan Rony, Zakia Bari Mamo, Sohel Mondol, and Siam Ahmed.
Meanwhile, university teachers held a protest rally in front of the Aparajeyo Bangladesh on the Dhaka University campus yesterday.
Protest programs were also arranged at Jahangirnagar University, where teachers and students marched the streets and took part in a performance art at the Shaheed Minar.
At Rajshahi University, students were barred by the police after they ended a silent procession wearing red clothes in their faces. About 100 students from various schools and colleges gathered at RU, where teachers initiated the procession.
Police tried to detain some students around 11am when the silent procession ended at Shaheed Buddhijibi Chattar. Some teachers stopped the police from detaining the students, leading to a scuffle.