The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance launched a long march from Dhaka to Chattogram on Saturday with pressing a six-point charter of demands.
The programme opened with a rally at Motijheel's Shapla Chattar at 7am. The convoy set off for Chattogram around 8:15am with roadside rallies planned at Kanchpur Bridge Truckstand in Narayanganj, Paduar Bazar Bishwaroad in Cumilla, Mohipal in Feni and Mirsharai in Chattogram. The march will end with a public rally at Laldighi Maidan, Chattogram.
The Motijheel rally began with Quran recitation and an opening speech by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and alliance coordinator AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad. Other speakers included Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, Khilafat Majlis leaders Mamunul Haque and Fakhrul Islam, AB Party's Mujibur Rahman Manju, Bangladesh Development Party's Anwarul Islam Chan, Labour Party's Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Jagpa's Rashed Pradhan, Nezame Islam Party's Abdul Qayyum Sobhanie and National Citizen Party's Nahid Islam and Akhter Hossain.
The alliance's demands include implementing the referendum verdict, trying those responsible for the July killings, ending electricity, oil, gas and fertiliser shortages, curbing extortion and corruption to control commodity prices, improving law and order and ending narrow partisan politics.
Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman announced the long march and rally programme during a sit-in at Muktangan on August 6. Further long marches are scheduled to Rangpur on September 19, Khulna on October 10 and Sylhet (by train) on October 24 followed by a mass rally in Dhaka on November 14.
