Silent procession in Dhaka condemns assault on democracy, vilification of Tarique

A silent procession of professionals was held in the capital today (18 July), protesting attempts to undermine the country's democratic environment and tarnish the image of Tarique Rahman, hailed as a symbol of youth pride.

The procession, organised by the Bangladesh United Professionals Council, began from the Jatiya Press Club and marched through Kadamful Fountain, Topkhana Road and Purana Paltan before returning to the Press Club.

It was led by AZM Zahid Hossain, convener of the council, and journalist Kader Gani Chowdhury, its member secretary.

Speaking during the event, Zahid said democracy in the country is under threat from "conspirators operating from the shadows."

"These elements are the main obstacle to restoring democratic governance," he added.

Kader Gani Chowdhury said the people of Bangladesh have been struggling for nearly two decades to reclaim their voting rights, yet that right remains elusive.

He alleged that "agents of fascism" still hold influential positions within the administration and called for their removal.

Gani also demanded the repeal of all repressive laws, including the Cyber Security Act, and an end to what he described as the "politics of character assassination" and conspiracy against national leaders.

A wide range of professionals and prominent citizens took part in the procession.

Among them were Bangladesh Open University Vice-Chancellor Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, senior lawyer Subrata Chowdhury, National University Pro-VC Professor Lutfur Rahman, corporate leader Syed Alamgir, and educationists, physicians, engineers, agriculturists and journalists.

Silent march held in Faridpur to honour martyrs of July uprising

Meanwhile, the Faridpur district and metropolitan units of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) organised a silent march today (18 July) to commemorate the martyrs of the July mass uprising.

The procession began in front of the Civil Surgeon's office in Faridpur and paraded through the city's main roads before concluding at the Janata Bank intersection.

Speaking at a brief gathering before the march, BNP Central Women's Wing Joint Secretary Chowdhury Nayab Yusuf said, "We see new leadership emerging in Bangladesh. To those individuals, we simply say — yes, you have protested for one month and five days. But the BNP has been waging a struggle for democracy for 17 long years."

"You entered the government just over a month into your movement, so you never experienced the true hardships of being in the opposition under government repression like we have," she added.

Referring to recent criticisms of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, she said, "Making derogatory remarks about our leader is utterly disrespectful. If you claim to lead, you must first hold yourselves accountable. A leader who shows such disrespect only sets a bad example for their followers. I urge you—you're still young. There's much you could still learn from BNP and from our experienced leaders."

The silent march was led by Chowdhury Nayab Yusuf, also the joint secretary of the BNP's Central Women's Wing.