Shawdesh Desk:

Protests continue for the second day on Sunday against an attempt to assassinate Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

Hundreds of people have participated in human chains and protest rallies at Vatara in the capital, Savar, Chandpur, Rajshahi, Rangpur and other parts of the country.

Foiling an assassination attempt on the Bashundhara Group Managing Director, law enforcers arrested a youth on Thursday.  The arrestee was identified as Saiful Islam Saad, 23.

During preliminary interrogation, Saad confessed that he was preparing to attack Sayem Sobhan Anvir during Jumma prayers on Friday. Earlier, he attempted to poison Sayem Sobhan Anvir to death.

The arrestee disclosed that as part of the blueprint orchestrated by Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, MP from Chattogram-12 constituency (Patiya), and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun, he was supposed to shoot Anvir to death during Friday’s Jumma prayers.

In Vatara, locals held a human chain in protest against the attempt on the life of the Bashundhara Group Managing Director.

Around 800 people from various groups and organisations joined the human chain held in front of Vatara police station.

The participants demanded capital punishment of the perpetrators and masterminds of the heinous plot.

The protesters also staged a procession in the area.

Speaking at the programme, Md Milon Hossain, an inhabitant of the area, said “Vatara was low-lying area which Bashundhara Group developed. We consider Bashundhara Group MD Sayem Sobhan Anvir as our brother. So, we demand exemplary punishment to whip Shamsul and his son Sharun.”

Another native, Zahidur Rahman Jony said Sayem Sobhan Anvir is not only managing director of Bashundhara Group but also an asset of the country. “We call upon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to beef up security of Anvir and bring whip Shamsul and his son Sharun for masterminding assassination plot.”

Mosharraf Hossain Khandker, a resident of Vatara, said Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun assigned a youth to kill Bashundhara MD and the duo should be arrested and punished.

In Chandpur, a protest rally and human chain was held demanding arrest of those who were involved in the attempt to murder the Bashundhara Group MD.

The protest rally was held at the Matlab Upazila Parishad Complex this morning with the participation of freedom fighters, journalists, businessmen, teacher and other sections of people.

Matlab Uttar Press Club general secretary Monirul Islam Monir and Naiem Miazi, among others, spoke on the event.

Another similar programme was held in Matlab Dokhin upazile in the morning.

In Rajshahi, a human chain was formed in the city’s Shahebbazar Zero point area in the morning protesting the assassination attempt on the Bashundhara Group MD.

The participants demanded immediate arrest of the plotters.

Businessman Babu, Juel, Shakil, Halim, Faruk, among others, spoke on the event.

Earlier on Saturday, protest rallies and human chains took place in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Brahmanbaria, Tangail, Narsingdi and Sylhet against the murder plot.

The demonstrators demanded arrest of the whip and his son Sharun who masterminded the plan.