JU students block Dhaka-Aricha highway demanding ban on AL
Students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, demanding a ban on the Awami League, following calls by leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP).
The protest began at 12:45am with a procession from the university's Bot Tola area and culminated in the blockade at 1am.
They put up barricades on the highway, creating a tailback of goods-laden trucks and long-distance buses, among other vehicles.
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The blockade was lifted at 1:23am, our JU correspondent reports.
Earlier tonight, demonstrators in Dhaka started an indefinite sit-in protest, led by NCP, in front of the chief adviser's official residence Jamuna at around 10:00pm.
"We will stay here until we get a clear roadmap regarding Awami League's ban," Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organiser (South) of NCP, who had earlier announced the protest in a post on his Facebook profile, said at the sit-in programme.
Earlier, in a post on Facebook at 10:24pm, shortly after the protest in front of the CA's residence kicked off, Nahid wrote, "Our promise in July was to bring the murderers to justice. And Mujibists will never be able to do politics on Bengali soil again. Tonight, the decision will be made regarding the Awami League."
"We can see that the trial of the fascist and murderous Awami League is being delayed. No decision is being taken to cancel the registration and ban the Awami League. The accused are being granted bail. The president of the illegal fascist government has been allowed to escape before our eyes. Our distrust in the government has been created on the issue of justice," the post reads.
"We will not come out of the streets until a clear roadmap for the trial, cancellation of registration and ban on political activities of the Awami League is presented," the NCP chief also wrote.
He called on all to join the protest, writing, "I call on all forces of July, all martyr families and the injured to come out on the streets. Our struggle will continue until justice is ensured."
Hasnat Abdullah also made a similar call in a Facebook post on his profile.
Later at 12:40pm, Adviser Asif Mahmud also expressed solidarity with the demand to ban AL and called on July Uprising protesters to unite.
