At least 20 Democratic Left Alliance leaders, activists and a journalist have been injured as police charge batons at the alliance’s ‘Dhaka-Sunderbans road march’ rally at Manikganj Shaheed Minar area of the District on Friday.
The alliance coordinator Saiful Huq of Revolutionary Worker’s Party, Mushrefa Mishu, president of Revolutionary Democratic Party and national daily Amader Shomoy correspondent Shahidul Islam Sujon were among the injured.
Bangladesh Student’s Federation Manikganj unit President Ashrafur Rahaman told the Dhaka Tribune that police charged baton on the protesters and blocked the road march at Manikganj Shaheed Minar area while they were preparing for an awareness rally around 4pm.
Ganashanhati Andolon leader Ariful Islam said: “Police charge batons without any notice but they assured us to hold alliance’s scheduled rally earlier. We are on march to save Sundarbans and such attack on peaceful rally is also attack on people’s democratic rights of protest.”
Democratic Left Alliance, a platform of eight left political parties, launched their three-day road march from National Press Club in the capital protesting coal-based Rampal power plant project in Sundarbans area.
Earlier at a rally National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports member-secretary Anu Muhammad said that the people would not accept the Rampal thermal power plant as it was destructive to the Sunderbans.
Chaired by Democratic Left Alliance coordinator Saiful Huq, the rally was addressed, among others, by academic Akmal Hossain, alliance leaders Zonayed Saki, Mubinul Haider Chowdhury, Mushrefa Mishu, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu and Nazrul Islam.
More than 500 protesters brought out a procession in the capital before starting the road march.
The leaders of the left leaning alliance will address roadside rallies on the way to Rampal in Bagerhat during the road march. The protesters will hold their final rally at Katakhali in Bagerhat on October 18.
