Dhaka torch rally backs India’s student-led protests

Three progressive student and youth organisations in Bangladesh staged a torch rally in Dhaka on Saturday (October 10), expressing solidarity with protesters in India and condemning alleged attacks and mass arrests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The rally, organised by Bangladesh Students’ Union, Bangladesh Youth Union and Socialist Students’ Front, began at 7PM in Paltan, passed the National Press Club and ended at its starting point.

At a subsequent protest gathering, speakers said repression could not halt democratic movements and voiced support for Indian students and political activists.

Bangladesh Students’ Union President Mahir Shahriar Reza accused the Narendra Modi government of attempting to suppress the movement through authoritarian measures. He said the struggle would gain momentum and expressed confidence that protesters would achieve victory.

Socialist Students’ Front President Rina Murmu also expressed solidarity with the Indian protesters, alleging that democratic movements in Bangladesh were facing similar repression. She further condemned what she described as attacks on the country’s history and culture by fundamentalist groups.

-AH