Train burning plot to blame opposition: Ganatantra Manch

Ganatantra Manch leaders at a procession in the capital in support of their hartal on Tuesday 19 Dec 2023.

Dhaka, Dec 19 – Ganatantra Mancha, a platform of some opposition organisations, on Tuesday alleged that a train was torched in the capital as part of a government plot to crack down on the ongoing one-point movement.

Zonayed Saki, a top leader of the platform and chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, made the allegation n a brief rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club (JPC).

"We’re now seeing how much conspiracies this government can hatch. We saw a moving train set on fire in Tejgaon today (Tuesday), killing some people and injuring others. We want to unequivocally say that ongoing movement has no connection with such acts of sabotage,” he said.

Saki said the government is trying to malign the ongoing movement of the opposition by resorting to acts of sabotage. “They (govt) want to crack down on the movement by creating sabotage.”

He said an all-out crackdown was launched on the opposition by shifting the blame on them after unleashing violence and brutally killing a policeman on October 28 by the government’s agent-propagators through giving provocation in a planned way.

Saki said hundreds of leaders and workers of BNP and Ganatantra Mancha have been arrested and jailed in a bid to suppress the movement.

“We have earlier said they (govt) want to suppress the movement by putting opposition leaders and followers in jail... Now the agriculture minister, who is a presidium member of the ruling party, calmly told during a television interview that they kept our opposition leaders and workers, including those of BNP, in jail with a well-thought-out plan,” he said

Saki warned that no force and no repression can stop the ongoing movement for the restoration of democracy and people’s right to vote.

"We’ll take to the streets and if you (govt) have the courage prevent us. We’re not afraid of your obstacles and our movement will continue. We will announce the programme in time,” he said.

The leaders and activists of Ganatantra Mancha brought out a procession at Bijoynagar to Topkhana Road around 11:30am in support of the day-long hartal and protesting the ban on opposition parties' rallies and political programmes ahead of the election. Later, they held the rally in front of the JPC.

Saiful Haque, general secretary of Bangladesh-er Biplobi Workers Party, strongly denounced the train torching incident and demanded an impartial investigation into it to punish the perpetrators.

He slammed the Jatiya Party for taking part in the upcoming national election taking 25 to 26 seats in advance from the ruling party like beggars.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has to decide who will be the opposition party in the next parliament through the upcoming polls...it is very clear that people do not consider it as an election. People are not interested in this election,” he observed.

Referring to Russia’s allegation that the US and its allies are trying to destabilise the situation in Bangladesh along the lines of the Arab Spring, Haque said there will be a Bengali Spring in Bangladesh.

“People are getting ready for Bangladesh Spring. The pent-up anger of the people may cause a mass upsurge anytime in Bangladesh,” he warned.

Apart from Ganatantra Mancha, BNP, 12-Party Alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Gono Odhikar Parishad, LDP, Labour Party, Gonoforum and People’s Party also brought out processions in different areas of the capital in support of the dawn-to-dusk hartal. - UNB