CT News Online

Police on Tuesday foiled a pre-scheduled mass contact programme of the Ganatantantra Mancha in front of Bangladesh Bank headquarters at Matijheel in Dhaka.

The Mancha, after holding a short rally in front of the Bangladesh Bank at around noon, began to chant slogans in a bid to begin a procession and mass contact towards Hatkhola in the city.

The police who were deployed in the area encircled the Mancha leaders and activists and barred them from advancing with their procession.

The Mancha leaders alleged that police foiled their programme at the behest of the government to suppress the opposition political parties and holding the ‘one-sided’ election.

The leaders urged the people not to go to the polling centres.

Speaking at the Matijheel rally, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki alleged that police had charged batons on the leaders and activists of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD at Arambagh when they were coming to join the rally in front of BB headquarters.

The Mancha and several other opposition parties and alliances are now in simultaneous movement with the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to press home their demands including cancellation of ‘one-sided’ general election and holding an inclusive general election under a party neutral election-time government within 90 days after dissolution of the parliament.

The Mancha on Monday announced a three-day mass contact programme from Tuesday across the country.