Expatriates in New York rally against Jamaat

Expatriate Bangladeshis have rallied in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York seeking executions for all convicted war criminals and a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party.

The protesters submitted a memorandum to be forwarded to the UN Secretary General for his attention.

Imran H Sarker, Spokesman for the Ganajagaran Mancha in Shahbagh, has expressed solidarity with the protest by phone and requested them to continue their movement until the demands are met.

Bangabandhu Parishad’s US unit President Dr Nurunnabi coordinated the teleconference with Imran.

The rally kicked off around Sunday noon (local NY time, early Monday Dhaka time). The whole area was rocked by the independence time slogan ‘Joy Bangla’.

Bangladesh witnessed the beginning of an unprecedented mass uprising, led by youths, on Feb 5 after Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Many people felt the sentence was ‘too light’ for the ‘Butcher of Mirpur’. Demonstrators initially limited their protests in capital Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection, but it ultimately spread across the country and abroad.

At the beginning of the rally in New York, Bangladesh’s national anthem was sung and recitations from all religions followed. Saimon Hossain administered the oath taking of those gathered.

Students of various colleges and universities took part in it.

Various platforms of expatriate Bangladeshis joined the rally. Expatriates from Boston, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Atlantic City and New York joined the rally with placards and banners.

Many had Bangladesh’s national flag wrapped around their heads.