Banned Chhatra League holds surprise procession in Begumganj, 4 arrested

Leaders and activists of the banned Chhatra League suddenly held a surprise procession in Begumganj, Noakhali. The procession started from the upazila's Chowmuhani Rail Line Road at around 3:45 pm on Thursday (July 31) and ended at Hasan Road. The procession was led by banned Chhatra League activist Jihad Hasan Ratan.

Later, former Chhatra League leader Nazmul Shihab posted and shared a video of the procession on his Facebook account, which instantly went viral on social media.

Eyewitnesses said that around 3:45 pm, 25 to 30 teenagers and young people were seen marching on the road with festoons and a Chhatra League banner in their hands. During the procession, they chanted slogans like "Sheikh Hasina will return" and "Build resistance against the interim government." Slogans were also chanted in the name of Shihab, who is known to be influential locally.

In this regard, former member secretary of Begumganj Upazila Chhatra Dal, Dawood Ur Rahman, said, "Today, the people of the country are on the streets against the misrule of the fascist Awami League. However, members of a banned organization are getting the courage to hold a procession in public because of the shameless negligence of the local administration."

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Begumganj Police Station Dewan Liton said, "After receiving the news, an immediate operation was conducted and 4 people were arrested from the spot. The operation is ongoing to identify and arrest others involved in the incident."

The local administration said that such unauthorized, provocative programs will not be tolerated in any way. Additional police have been deployed in the area to keep the situation under control.