11-party's Dhaka-Ctg long march to implement referendum mandate on 5 Sep 

The 11-party opposition alliance has announced a long march from Dhaka to Chattogram on 5 September to implement the mandate of the referendum, with its key force Jamaat-e-Islami seeking to kick off the programme with a rally of more than 100,000 people at Shapla Chattar in the capital.

The long march also aims to establish a discrimination-free Bangladesh.

A preparatory meeting was held at Jamaat's central office in Moghbazar of Dhaka yesterday to discuss preparations for the programme. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the alliance and assistant secretary general of Jamaat, chaired the meeting.

According to a statement issued by Jamaat, the long march will begin at 7am on 5 September with a mass rally at Shapla Chattar. People from different professions and sections of society are expected to join the march towards Chattogram.

The procession will hold roadside rallies at Madanpur in Narayanganj, Paduar Bazar Bishwaroad in Cumilla and Mirsarai in Chattogram before reaching Chattogram.

Locals along the route will also welcome the procession, while participants from different upazilas are expected to join the march after such receptions.

Azad said the alliance had adopted the long march as part of a series of nationwide programmes to ensure implementation of the referendum's mandate.

He alleged that the government was attempting to erase the legacy of the July uprising and said the alliance would not allow it to happen.

Azad, former MP from Cox's Bazar, also criticised the government over fertiliser shortages, saying six of the country's seven fertiliser factories are currently closed. Power shortages have also severely affected industrial production, with some factories shutting down, he claimed.

He urged people from all walks of life to support the long march.