Protesters vowed to avenge the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haidar as they continue their demonstration at Shahbagh intersection for the 12th straight day on Saturday.
Rajib, 30, an architect and Shahbagh protest activist, was found stabbed dead near his house at Pallabi in the capital Friday night. This prompted the protesters to go back to their 24-hour movement instead of seven-hour programme which they had declared hours before the death.
The organisers decided to limit the protest to seven hours daily considering people’s sufferings, especially of the patients of two adjacent hospitals—Birdem and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.
Around 6:30am Saturday, the protesters started the day's activities with the national anthem.
Expressing their rage over Rajib’s death, they chanted fiery slogans like “Shaheed Rajib er rokto amader dhomonite” (Rajib's blood flowing in our vein) and “Aar noy protirodh, ebar hobe protishodh,” (no more prevention, it's time for taking revenge).
Wearing black badges, people from all walks of life including students of schools, colleges and universities were seen converging at the intersection popularly known as 'Projonmo Chattar' in the morning.
Over 2,000 people were breaking out in chants of “Shaheed Rajib er dabi, razakar er fashi (death penalty for collaborators was the demand of Shaheed Rajib), Shaheed Rajiber rakta britha jete dibo na (blood of Rajib will not go in vain) and Razakar er hole fashi sobar mukhe futbe hashi (everyone will smile if the collaborators hanged).
Actor ATM Shamsuzzaman also joined the protest around 11:30am.
They also sang gono shongeet (mass song) in unison at Shahbagh where namaz-e-janaza of Rajib will be held after Asr prayers today.
The movement began on February 5, soon after a war crimes tribunal sentenced Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah to life term in prison for crimes against humanity during the 1971 war.
The protest was initiated by Bloggers and Online Activist Network, but it soon turned into a mass movement. Within days, it spread to other parts of the country, with the call for capital punishment to all war criminals getting louder and louder.
But Rajib's death sparked the protest, prompting the organisers to go back to their 24-hour movement instead of the seven hours protest daily.
The Shahbagh protesters have been demanding immediate arrest of the killers and banning pro-Jamaat blog Sonarbangla that had been carrying out propaganda against Rajib over the last few days.
The protesters on February 10 submitted a six-point charter to the Speaker, demanding death penalty for all war criminals, and revocation of the state's power to grant them amnesty.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the same day thanked the youths for raising voice against the 1971 war criminals.
Our Madaripur correspondent adds: Some youths brought out a procession at Rajoir upazila around 1:00pm demanding arrest of the killers of Rajib.
They also vandalised a branch of Islami bank at Tekerhat Bandar.
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