Police halt march towards Jamuna demanding AL ban

Police intervened on Tuesday to stop a mass procession heading toward the Chief Adviser’s residence, Jamuna, in Shahbagh, where protesters demanded a ban on the Awami League and its allies for their alleged roles in the July massacre, Pilkhana and Shapla Chattar incidents, and other atrocities.

The march, organised by the National Revolutionary Council and the Revolutionary Student Council, began at 3:30pm from the Raju Memorial Monument on the Dhaka University campus. 

By 3:45pm, it reached Shahbagh police station, where law enforcement set up a barricade to block its advance. 

The standoff has left the procession stalled on the road, shutting down traffic on one side from Dhaka University toward Shahbagh.

The Protesters are calling for:

- A ban on the Awami League, its 14-party allies, the Grand Alliance, and all affiliated branches, labeling them as "genocidal fascists."

- State seizure of the offices and assets of these groups to aid rehabilitation for victims of the "fascist era" from 2009 to 2024.

- Designation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet, MPs, and district council officials from that period as "fascists," with arrest warrants and trials to follow.

- A ban on neo-fascist entities mirroring such ideologies.

- A constitutional amendment to outlaw fascist political, social, and cultural organisations.

Anisur Rahman, political head of the National Revolutionary Council, Mohammad Shafiur Rahman, organisational head of the party; Abdul Wahed, convener of the Revolutionary Students’ Council; and Fazlur Rahman, member secretary, alongside numerous supporters were among the marchers.