Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Ganajagaran Mancha dismantled

In a drive carried out early on Monday morning, law enforcement personnel dismantled the Ganajagaran Mancha at the city’s Shahbagh intersection after three months. The mancha (platform) had been erected to press for the demand for capital punishment of all the war criminals who committed crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. Security barricades, a temporary media cell as well as barbed-wire fences around the Ganajagaran Mancha were also removed at around 5am on Monday. Additional police patrols were also withdrawn from there.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) conducted a joint drive with the police and dismantled the mancha, sources said.
“The police asked us to evacuate Projonmo Chattar around 2am and started to dismantle the media cell and other tents here around 5am on Monday,” Maruf Rasool, one of the organisers of the forum, said.
“They first took us all outside the barricades. Then they tore down the main stage, media cell and other camps. The whole area is empty now,” he said. He added that the police action came without any prior notice.
Shahriar Kabir, executive president of Bangladesh’s Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and war crimes researcher, condemned the dismantling of the Mancha. “No one has the ability and courage to dismantle the mancha. It has spread across the country,” he said.
Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker said, “The mancha is not something material. It is a matter of spirit. It will not vanish if it is removed or destroyed. The mancha will be erected again through the youths.”
Condemning the dismantling of the mancha, he said, “The mancha is the symbol of spirit of the Liberation War. It was erected to seek capital punishment for the war criminals. It is condemnable that it has been dismantled following demands by fanatic groups.”
The police dismantled the platform without holding any discussions with them, Sarker said at a press conference at the Teacher Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University on Monday.
“Our movement will continue despite the fact that the government has dismantled it. We, however, will refrain from arranging or announcing any programme, as a sign of respect for the government’s decision, as long as the ban is in effect,” he said.
Ruhin Hossain Prince, a central member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), said, “The dismantling of the mancha is not desirable. Such a decision by the government is a politics of balancing. It will not do anything good to the country. But erasing the mancha will not end their movement because it is the spirit of the Liberation War.”
Under the banner of Blogger and Online Activist Network (BOAN), the Ganajagaran Mancha, comprising the country’s youths, began protests on February 5 when the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) pronounced a verdict of life imprisonment for Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Mollah, a war criminal.
Such a “lenient sentence”, as they dubbed it, sparked a wave of anger and frustration and drew people to Shahbagh Square. Tens of thousands were galvanised into putting up an unprecedented show of support for the mancha. The protests struck a popular public chord and the Ganajagaran Mancha was replicated in districts and divisions.
The protests started with 30-odd youths, but gradually turned into a tidal wave of humanity and spread over the country.
Later, students of different universities, including Dhaka University, students’ organisations, including Chhatra League, and the general public irrespective of caste, creed and colour, including children and women, joined the mancha.
The media, both print and electronic, from home and abroad, gave extensive coverage to the demands of the mancha.
Branches of the mancha were established all over the country. The mancha placed a six-point charter of demands, including banning Jamaat-Shibir’s politics and closing their commercial institutions. The mancha organised several rallies across the country, including the capital.

-With The Independent input

Related News

Ijtema scheduled for two phases from January 31 to February 9: home adviser

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bishwa Ijtema is set to take place in two phases from January 31 to February 9 next year, as announced today by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. The first phase will be held from January 31 to February 2, with the second phase from February 7 to ... Read more

Bangladesh sent 9.3 lakh workers abroad since Jan

BSS With sincere efforts by different stakeholders, especially the government, Bangladesh sent abroad 9.3 lakh workers with jobs from January to 2 November this year. “The trend of overseas employment is satisfactory so far and we are expecting to send more remittance senders with jobs this year,” Director of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training ... Read more

Policymakers unaware of people’s struggles as they don’t rely on public transport, says Road Safety Foundation

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Those responsible for public transport policymaking in the country do not use public transport in the capital, so they do not understand the sufferings people endure, Road Safety Foundation (RSF) Chairman AI Mahbub Uddin Ahmed said today (2 November). The chairman of the Road Safety Foundation (RSF), AI Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, ... Read more

Job aspirants can now try 4 times for BCS exam

News Desk : dhakamirror.com From now a job seekers will be able to sit for Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations up to a maximum of four times. This decision was taken at a meeting of the advisory council chaired by chief adviser Dr Mohammad Yunus at his office on Thursday, said a press release from ... Read more

Load-shedding surpasses 1,500MW as Adani reduces generation

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Load shedding exceeded 1,500MW on Friday after yet another power producer, the Adani power limited, cut its production due to non-payment of bills. Grappling with a dollar crisis for more than two years, Bangladesh’s dues to power plants jumped to over Tk 43,000 crore in July. Adani’s outstanding bill stood at ... Read more

DU-affiliated 7-college students block Science Laboratory for 2nd consecutive day

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University (DU) have blocked the Science Lab intersection in the capital on Wednesday for the second consecutive day to press home their demand for a separate autonomous university. They blocked the crossing at about 11:00am halting vehicular movement. Students of the seven colleges — ... Read more

Madrasa student drowns in Cox’s Bazar

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A madrasa student drowned near the beach in Cox’s Bazar around 12:30pm today (26 October). The incident happened at Sugandha Point, confirmed Executive Magistrate of Tourism Division of Cox’s Bazar district administration Md Tanvir Hossain. The deceased has been identified as Mahmudur Rahman, son of Didarul Alam from Banglabazar area under ... Read more

Cyclone Dana turns into land depression

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Cyclone “Dana” over North Odisha and adjoining area moved and weakened North-Northwestwards and now lies over the same area as a land depression. It is likely to move West-Northwestwards further and weaken gradually and will become insignificant, said a Met office bulletin on Saturday, reports UNB. “Light to moderate rain or ... Read more

Maximum entry age for public jobs to be 32

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has approved raising the maximum age for applying for public service jobs to 32 years. This decision was made at a meeting of the interim government’s advisory council, said a press release issued by the Cabinet Division today. The current age threshold is 30, and 32 for children of ... Read more

Cyclone Dana heads towards India

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Skies remained overcast all over Bangladesh amidst light to heavy rains accompanied by gusts as the cyclonic storm Dana barreled down the Bay of Bengal towards the Indian coast between Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday. Forecasters said that Bangladesh has little to worry about as the cyclone was moving away ... Read more

Gold price crosses Tk 1.4 lakh per bhori

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (Bajus) today (19 October) increased the price of gold by Tk2,613 per bhori, followed by a price hike in the local bullion market. According to a Bajus statement, 22-carat gold will now cost Tk1,40,061 per bhori (11.664 grams). The new rate will be effective from tomorrow (20 ... Read more

Low pressure likely to form in Bay on Tuesday: BMD

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A low pressure is likely to form over the central Bay of Bengal around Tuesday, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said today. In its latest weather bulletin, BMD said rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions and ... Read more

Interim govt approves 11-day Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha holidays, 2-day for Durga Puja

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The interim government today extended the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays to five days, Eid-ul-Azha holidays to six days and Sharadiya Durga Puja holidays to two days for 2025, according to the Chief Adviser’s Office. Currently, there are three-day public holidays for each Eid and one day for Durga Puja. The list of public ... Read more

Two entire families lost to a road accident in Pirojpur

News Desk : dhakamirror.com At least eight people from two families, including four children, died after a private car plunged into a roadside canal in Pirojpur early today. The deceased are Shawon, 32, his wife Amina, 25, their two children Sahadat, 7, and Abdullah, 3, from Bhaijhora village of Pirojpur’s Nazirpur upazila and Motaleb Sheikh, ... Read more

Italian embassy to resolve 20,000 visa applications by December: Foreign adviser

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Tuesday said that the Italian Embassy in Dhaka will clear 20,000 visa applications by December as many visa applications had been pending for a long time. “Twenty thousand visa cases have been cleared from Rome. [However] Progress in issuing those visas is very slow. ... Read more

Prof Mobasser Monem appointed as new PSC Chairman

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has appointed Dr Mobasser Monem, a Professor of Governance and Public Management at the University of Dhaka, as the new Chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC). Along with Professor Monem, four others have been appointed as members of the BPSC. The four members are– Md Suzayet Ullah, ... Read more

Govt urges IOM to evacuate Bangladeshis

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka has requested the International Organisation for Migration to arrange chartered flights to bring back Bangladeshis willing to leave Lebanon amid airstrikes by Israel on the West Asian country. ‘We have requested the IOM to arrange flights to evacuate Bangladeshis willing to leave Lebanon. But Beirut’s airport is currently unsafe for ... Read more

Flood puts hundreds at risk of starvation

Emran Hossain The ongoing flash flooding puts hundreds of farmer families at immediate risk of starvation in Sherpur district, washing away the rice they stored from the previous harvest and also destroying the standing paddy fields. The divisional office of the Department of Agricultural Extension estimated that the flood affected 97,000 hectares of standing aman ... Read more

Price hikes strain people

Moinul Haque The soaring prices of essential commodities, including rice, vegetables, eggs and broiler chicken, put increasing pressure on the low-income people, pushing them further to the wall. Market analysts have expressed concerns over the unusual spiralling of prices of the essentials, criticising the interim government for its failure to take timely action to protect ... Read more

Four days Durga Puja holiday starting from Thursday

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh’s interim government has announced an additional public holiday on Thursday, October 10, for Durga Puja, the largest religious celebration of the Hindu community in Bangladesh, says a press release. During a press conference held on Wednesday at the Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, Mahfuj Alam, special assistant to chief adviser, made ... Read more