Left-wing parties stage protest demanding abolition of DSA
They scuffled with police while passing through the barricades
Leaders and activists of left-leaning political organisations have staged protest in front of secetariat to press home their various demands including abolition of the Digital Security Act.
The protesters brought out a procession from Dhaka University's TSC area around 11.50am.
After breaking police barricades in different points, they reached in front of secretariat as part of their programme to beseige secretariat and staged protest their till 1pm.
Later, they moved back to TSC area from secretariat area and ended their protest programme after coming back in the university campus.
Nine leftist student organizations jointly staged the today's protest.
The left-leaning political organisations had called for besieging the Home Ministry today demanding the release of cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and abolition of Digital Security Act.
They scuffled with police while passing through the barricades. Later they started staging sit-it protest in front the Secretariat.
Meanwhile, police also kept water cannon and riot car ready to avert any untoward situation. Police blocked a road towards the ministry.
Boren, president of the Chhatra Federation, said their movement would continue until revoking of digital act. If it is required, they will call hartal across the country. They holding demonstrations all over the country today.
Al-Qadiri Joy, president of Samajtrantik Chhatra Front, said, "We will end our program here shortly."
The next program will be announced later.
Nasir Uddin Prince, general secretary of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, told The Business Standard, "Police already have put barricades on some points. Yet we will besiege the home ministry ignoring all barriers."
"Our movement will continue till the revocation of the Digital Security Act and release of the detained students. We would wage tougher movements if it is needed," he added.
Iqbal Kabir, president of Biplabi Chhatra Maitree, said "We have come to streets today taking oath to be arrested. It is not matter how much blood will shed, we will not tolerate the act anymore"
The organisations called for the demonstration after the arrest of seven protesters from processions in the Shahbag area and filing of a case against them on Friday midnight over the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and writer Mushtaq Ahmed from Kakrail and Lalmatia on May 5 last year under the Digital Security Act for posting anti-government posts on Facebook.
Mushtaq Ahmed died at the Kashimpur jail in Gazipur on 25 February.
