Staff Reporter :
A group of protesters, calling themselves ‘July Warriors,’ have blocked the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, demanding the immediate declaration and implementation of the July Charter.
The demonstration brought traffic from Shahbagh to TSC, Matsya Bhaban and Katabon to a standstill. The protesters however allowed ambulances and emergency services to pass freely.
The protesters under the banner of families of the July martyrs and injured ‘July Fighters’ started the demonstration at 10:30 am on Thursday.
The protesters shouted various slogans, such as “take blood but issue July Charter,” and “won’t let the spirit of 24th go in vain.” They said the government’s procrastination in issuing the charter forced them to block the street and vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met.
Abu Hasan, one of the demonstrators, said their programme would continue until the July Charter was officially announced.
Their demands include: formal recognition of the July martyrs and injured protesters as ‘July Fighters’; lifelong honour, medical care, education, and welfare for the families of the martyrs and injured; full state responsibility for treatment, rehabilitation, employment, and welfare of the injured; provision of lifelong respectable allowances for affected families; establishment of special legal aid and protection centres for victims and their families; international-standard prosecution of those responsible for the violence and repression; and, formation of an independent ‘Truth and Justice Commission’.
Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge Khalid Monsur confirmed that traffic had come to a standstill in the area due to the blockade.
Meanwhile, the National Consensus Commission seeks to finalise the second phase of discussions on the July Charter by on Thursday. However, talks with political parties have not yet been completed.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), and Islami Andolon Bangladesh have raised objections to the draft July National Charter.
Their objection is particularly over the provision that says that reforms will be implemented within two years of forming a new government through elections.
The three parties argue that the July Charter must be embedded within a binding legal framework to ensure certainty in the reform process. Otherwise, the whole reform process will fall under uncertainty.
