Students gather at Zero Point, chanting anti-fascism slogans amid high tension

Demonstrators from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement on Sunday gathered at the Zero Point area in the capital's Gulistan shouting slogans to resist "fascist Awami League."

The protesters started pouring into the area, also known as Noor Hossain Square, from early morning to demand that the AL which has recently been ousted from power is tried for mass killings during the July-August movement.

The demonstration came after Awami League in its Facebook page announced a plan to hold a rally in the area at 3 pm to mark the Noor Hossain Day with a call to "restore democracy."

Border Guard Bangladesh troops have been deployed in the areas surrounding AL's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue and Zero Point near the Bangladesh Secretariat in addition to police and Rapid Action Battalion amid tightened security.

In front of the Awami League office, police were seen beating away some people on suspicion that they might belong to AL.

A police officer on duty here said, "Several suspected individuals have been detained. However, the exact number cannot be confirmed."

This UNB correspondent on a visit to the scene on Sunday morning saw students from various universities have taken up positions at the Zero Point since 11 a.m. They chanted various slogans such as "In my golden Bengal, there's no place for fascism," "Grab every League, cut them down one by one," "We’ve shed blood, we’ll shed more blood," and "We want justice, justice!"

One of the students identified as Naimur, “The party and government that have taken fascism to its extreme in this country, those who have killed my brothers and sisters, deserve no mercy. We do not want any League, and that’s why we are here today.”

The protestors continued to hold their ground, demanding justice and an end to what they describe as the growing fascist tendencies within the country’s political landscape.

No violence has so far been reported.

On this day (November 10), 1987 Noor Hossain, a Jubo League activist, was killed by police during a demonstration against the autocratic rule of Ershad.

On his chest and back he wore slogans "Down with autocracy" and "Let democracy be freed."