Date:22/03/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/03/22/stories/2003032202881200.htm

International

Thousands take to the streets in Dhaka

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA MARCH 21. Thousands of anti-war demonstrators, including political activists belonging to both the left and right camps, took to the streets in Dhaka and other major towns in the last two days raising slogans against the U.S.-led military strike on Iraq even as the 11-party left alliance called for a countrywide half-day hartal on Saturday against what they called "American-British imperialist aggression''. The protesters also burnt American flags.

Student activists of secular political parties, meanwhile, chose the premises of the central Shaheed Minar of Dhaka to begin their marathon agitation "till the U.S.-U.K. forces leave Iraq''.

Pro-Islamic militant groups, including civilians, took to the streets in thousands after the Friday Jumma prayer in many parts of the country.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, main ally of the Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia's four-party Government, strongly condemned the attack with its chief and the Agriculture Minister, Matiur Rahman Nizami, in a statement cautioning the U.S. and its allies that they would be held responsible for "the dangerous consequences of the unilateral and unjustified war''.

Some student fronts, including the Bangladesh Chhatra Union, set afire a U.S. flag at Central Shaheed Minar. The protesters condemned the "assassination attempt'' on Saddam, and killing of civilians by the invading forces.

Members of various Islamic groups raised slogans such as `smash and burn the strongholds of America,'' "why the attack on Iraq, reply Kofi Annan,'' and "no war for oil''. Meanwhile, the authorities tightened security in and around the diplomatic enclave as well as vital Government installations in the capital.