Cultural activists from Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi and other organisations on Monday protested against the killings and wholesale arrests by law enforcement agencies during the ongoing quota protests.
They demanded justice for the deaths of common people and students and called for the withdrawal of the curfew in the country.
The protest event, held opposite the National Press Club at 4:00pm, featured mass people鈥檚 songs and poem recitations performed by artistes from Udichi, Charon, Tirondaz Repertoire, and others.
Beginning with 鈥楳uktiro Mondiro Shopano Tole鈥� chorus, the event rendered more than 12 songs, including 鈥楰arar Oi Louho Kopat鈥�, 鈥楨 Lorai Banchar Lorai鈥�, and 鈥楶athe Ebar Namo Sathi鈥�.
Artiste-director Deepak Suman recited Aamir Aziz鈥檚 poem 鈥楽hob Mone Rakha Hobe鈥�, while Kamruzzaman Bhuiyan also recited a poem.
鈥榊oung cultural activists of the country support the logical movement of students, but they cannot attend protests as most cultural organisations are dominated by the ruling party leaders. These events welcome cultural activists to perform in support of the ongoing students鈥� movement,鈥� said Deepak Suman.
Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi vice-president Jamshed Anwer Tapan said that law enforcement agencies killed protesters on the streets and used helicopters and heavy weapons against unarmed students during the quota protests.
鈥榃e want justice for every killing. The government should revoke the curfew,鈥� he added.
Earlier, the organisation scheduled the protest programme in front of the
National Press Club at 3:00pm but later postponed it due to the strict stance of law enforcement agencies.
鈥楾he police were so strict that we could not start the event. They restricted the meeting area and did not permit any sound system. That鈥檚 why we postponed the event for an hour. We support the demands placed by the quota protesters and want justice for mass killings and condemn wholesale arrests by law enforcement agencies during the protests,鈥� said its general secretary Amit Ranjan Dey.
鈥楶rotibadi Shamajik Shangskritik Shongothonsomuho, represented by thirty-one cultural organizations, will organise a mourn rally from Noor Hossain Square to Bahadur Shah Park on Tuesday at 3:00 pm,鈥� confirmed Jamshed.