Shawdesh desk:

Gonoshasthya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury on Saturday alleged that the government is trying to suppress the new generation in ‘Pakistani style’.

Speaking at a protest rally in the city, he also accused the government of killing five youths in a planned way in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria on Friday over the protest against Modi’s visit.

“Registering protest is our fundamental right. The killings in Hefazat’s programmes are planned ones,” Zafrullah said adding, “Those killed (on Friday) were young men. This new generation is being suppressed in Pakistani style.”

Bhasani Anusari Parishad arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the attacks on protest programmes against Modis visit on Friday.

Zafrullah, also a freedom fighter, alleged that the government forced the country’s people to greet a “communal person like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi” on the occasion of Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee.

He extended support to Hefazat-e-Islam’s a dawn-to-dusk hartal to be enforced across the country on Sunday protesting the killings of its activists by police and the attack on them by the supporters of the ruling party.

The freedom fighter urged the government not to obstruct Hefazat’s hartal programme as the followers of the organisation have the right to observe such a programme in a peaceful manner. “I think we should all support this hartal.”

Chief coordinator of Ganasanghati Andolan Zonayed Saki urged the government to ensure a proper investigation into police attacks on anti-Narendra Modi protest programmes in the capital, Chattogram and Brahmanbaria and make public the identities of those killed in the incidents.

He also demanded the government to put those responsible for the killings on trial and ensure compensation for the victim’s family members.

Besides, Saki urged the government to investigate the attacks on different progressive student organisations over the past week and withdraw the false cases filed against them.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the protest programme locked into an altercation with police members as they encircled the rally before it concludes.

Later, police detained at least five people from the post.