11-party unity long march reaches Khulna with seven-point demand, road rally at Shib Bari Mor

The third-phase long march of the 11-party unity, pressing a seven-point demand, has reached Khulna, where a road rally was held at Shib Bari Mor in Khulna city as part of the programme.

The demands include implementing the referendum verdict, a visible improvement in the law-and-order situation, controlling the unchecked prices of essential goods, resolving the fuel crisis, and completely stopping corruption, extortion and occupation.

As part of the scheduled programme of the Dhaka-Khulna-Kushtia-bound long march, the road rally at Shib Bari Mor in Khulna city began at 11am on Saturday (31 October), with local leaders speaking. The long march fleet was due to join the rally at around 12:30pm.

Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, convener of the Long March Implementation Committee in Khulna and amir of the city Jamaat, said the long march road rally would mark a new chapter in the movement to realise people's demands.

Mahfuzur Rahman said the ordinary people of Khulna have always played a leading role against injustice and exploitation, and that Saturday's long march and the road rally at the historic Babri Chattar would turn into one of the largest peaceful gatherings in memory.

He said the long march programme began on Saturday at 7am with a gathering at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, and the vehicle fleet set off at 8am.

The fleet was then to reach Khulna via the Padma Bridge, Bhanga, Gopalganj and Katakhali in Bagerhat, before holding road rallies at Phultala, Jashore and the Chuadanga bus stand and ending with a concluding rally in Kushtia.

The Khulna road rally was chaired by Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, convener of the Long March Implementation Committee in Khulna and amir of the city Jamaat.

Present at the rally were Muhaddis Abdul Khalek, central working council member of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and assistant director for the Khulna region, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, central working council member and Khulna region team member, and local leaders of the 11 parties. The rally was conducted by Advocate Sheikh Jahangir Hossain Helal, city secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Under the programme, a road rally was scheduled at Katakhali Mor in Bagerhat at around 11:30am, at Shib Bari Mor in Khulna city at around 12:30pm and at Phultala bus stand at around 2:15pm, although speeches at Shib Bari began from 11am.

Later, after road rallies at Murli Mor in Jashore and the Chuadanga bus stand, a large rally will be held at Abrar Fahad Stadium in Kushtia.

The chief guest at the Kushtia rally will be the opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman.

Also due to speak are opposition chief whip and National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chairman Dr Colonel Oli Ahmad, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis amir Shaikhul Hadis Allama Mamunul Haque, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB) chairman Mojibur Rahman Manju, Bangladesh Labour Party chairman Dr Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) vice-president and spokesperson Rashed Pradhan, and Bangladesh Development Party chairman Advocate AKM Anwarul Islam Chan.