Dhaka, Nov 10 (V7N)- Students and members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered at Zero Point in Dhaka’s Gulistan today, marking Noor Hossain Day and responding to a planned rally by the Awami League (AL) in the same location. Protestors occupied the area early in the morning, staging demonstrations to denounce AL, whom they accuse of promoting "misrule" in the country.

Leaders of the student movement, including Convener Hasnat Abdullah and Coordinator Sarjis Alam, set up a temporary stage in front of the General Post Office near Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, leading chants and speeches from 12:30 pm. Despite previous announcements, there were no signs of an AL-led rally or procession in Dhaka. This absence follows AL's recent ouster from power after a mass student uprising on August 5.

The student rally prompted road closures between Zero Point and nearby areas, but traffic remained operational on adjacent routes. Supporters of BNP and its affiliated groups also converged on Bangabandhu Avenue near the AL central office, with more arriving throughout the morning. Some individuals suspected of AL affiliations were detained by BNP supporters and later handed over to the police.

In addition to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Gono Odhikar Parishad, and Inqilaab Mancha joined the rally, many carrying sticks. Security forces, including plainclothes officers, riot vehicles, and Border Guard Bangladesh patrols, were deployed to maintain order, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Farabi.

The Awami League, through recent Facebook posts, had announced a rally at Zero Point to protest “misrule” and fundamentalist threats. However, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, clarified on Saturday that AL would not receive permission to hold a rally on November 10, citing the party’s current "fascist" tendencies. AL’s presence was effectively curtailed by these restrictions, reinforced by government advisories against allowing organizations linked to past violence from holding political events.

Noor Hossain Day commemorates the 1987 killing of Noor Hossain, an Awami Jubo League leader, during protests against Gen HM Ershad’s autocratic rule at Zero Point in Dhaka.

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