Sacrificing enjoyment, hundreds of conscious citizens of the country gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar on the Eid day to protest the failure of the government to maintain a safe road communications system.
Civil society members, leaders and activists of different political, social and cultural organisations took part in the sit-in began around 12:30pm Wednesday, expressing their solidarity with the movement.
The programme was continued till 4:00pm.
Mujahidul Islam Selim, general secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh and Subrata Chowdhury, Gono Forum general secretary, were also present.
“A conscious person cannot sit idle in any political crisis,” eminent writer and columnist Syed Abul Maksud said at his welcome speech. “Conscious people stage protests in a bid to help the government.”
Everyone has seen the miserable condition of the roads created over the last two months, but it could not draw proper attention of the government.
“For this, our movement is against the unskilled persons (in the government),” Maksud said.
At the beginning of the programme, singer Mahmuduzzaman Babu read out a written statement containing the demands of the organisers.
The newly-formed civic body decided to demonstrate at Shaheed Minar on Eid day demanding Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain’s removal and an end to corruption in the communications sector.
Earlier on August 24, they threatened to hold a sit-in programme if the communications minister is not removed before Eid for his failure in maintaining the dilapidated road network, causing thousands of deaths and injuries every year.
The protest rally comes following deaths of five people, including noted filmmaker Tareque Masud and ATN News CEO Ashfaque Munier Mishuk in a tragic road accident on Dhaka-Aricha highway on August 13.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
