Student movement calls for public gathering today to counter AL protest against 'misrule'

The Anti-discrimination Student Movement has called for a public gathering at the Zero Point in Gulistan today (10 November) to counter the rally called by Awami League leaders at the same location to protest what they call a' misrule' in the country. 

They also called students of North South University, American International University-Bangladesh, Independent University, Bangladesh to gather at 8 number gate of NSU at 11am today.

Some students started gathering in these locations since early morning.

Students demand trial of the leaders of the ousted Awami League.

Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, said an "anti-fascist stage" will be set up there at 12pm.

Earlier, from its verified Facebook post, Bangladesh Awami League urged its activists to come to Shaheed Noor Hossain Chattar at Zero Point, Gulistan on 10 November and protest against what they call "misrule".

"Our protest is against the deprivation of the rights of the people of the country; Our protest is against the rise of fundamentalist forces; our protest is against the conspiracy to disrupt the lives of the common people," reads the Facebook post.

Earlier yesterday, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, had said Awami League (AL) will not be granted permission to hold a protest programme in Dhaka city on 10 November.

"The Awami League in its current form is a fascist party. There is no way this fascist party will be allowed to hold protests in Bangladesh," he wrote in a post on his personal Facebook profile.

"The interim government won't tolerate any violence or any attempt to break the law and order situation in the country," the post further read.

Later on, Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said law enforcers would take stern action if any organisation linked to the mass killings tries to hold any political programme.

He made the remarks in a post from his verified Facebook account yesterday, in the backdrop of the first ever demonstration called by the Awami League (AL) in the city today since its ouster on 5 August following a student-led mass upsurge.

On 10 November 1987, Noor Hossain, a leader of Awami Jubo League, was killed in police firing while protesting against the then autocratic rule of Gen HM Ershad at the capital's Zero Point near Gulistan.