An unsettling calm prevailed in Pirojpur, the hometown of Jamaat-e-Islami Nayebe Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee, after the Supreme Court handed down its sentence against him on Wednesday.
Reports received from Zia Nagor, native upazila town of Sayedee, said the roads looked deserted from the early morning of Wednesday.
Offices of the Awami League, its front organisations and Muktijoddha Sangsad in Zia Nagor were either locked or remained vacant and their leaders were out of reach, suspending their mobile phone connections.
Leading activists of the ruling party, its front and like-minded pro-liberation organisations from different sections and sectors of Barisal divisional city assembled in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall in the morning.
Most of them rejected the verdict of the Supreme Court and demanded the death sentence for war criminal Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee and urged the government to immediately file a review petition against the verdict.
Jamaat-Shibir activists in the district town brought out a procession in the Bypass area yesterday protesting the verdict and demanding the release of Sayedee.
Abdur Razzak, Pirojpur Sadar police station officer-in-charge, said Manik Poshari and Mahbubul Alam, two complainants and other witnesses in the case against Sayedee were being given police protection.
Former upazila Muktijoddha commander Mahbubul Alam of Tengrakhali village and a complainant of one the cases against Sayedee, said he was frustrated at the judgement.
Sultan Mahmud, a prosecution witness in the case against Sayedee said he was passing days in fear even though he was now under police protection.
Law and order will be maintained at any cost, said A K M Shamsul Huq Siddiki, deputy commissioner of Pirojpur.
Three platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had been deployed in the town. At least 25 Jamaat-Shibir activists were arrested on Tuesday night and early yesterday from the district, said Abid Hassan, Pirojpur district police superintendent.
Kajal Ghosh, city organiser of the Sector Commanders Forum, said all pro-liberation forces were frustrated with the verdict.
Leaders and activists of seven organisations – District Command of Muktijoddha Sangsad, Muktijuddho Ekattor, Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, Barisal Sangskritik Sangathan Sammanoy Parishad, Muktijoddha Sangsad Santan Command, Sector Commanders Forum and Group Theatre Federation – jointly brought out a silent procession and held a rally near the hall urging the government to file review a petition against the sentence.
On the other hand Jammat-Shibir men staging demonstrations in the Natun Bazar area of the city, demanded Sayedee’s unconditional release.
A huge contingent of police were deployed at different strategic points of the city with RAB patrolling the city roads round the clock.
