Hundreds protest at visit by US naval ships
Staff Correspondent
Several hundred leaders and activists of the Hizbut Tahrir Bangladesh on Friday staged protests in Dhaka against the forthcoming visit to Chittagong port by two US naval ships in the name of distributing relief supplies among the cyclone- affected people.
Soon after the protest, a team of RAB-3 in plain clothes picked up Kazi Morshedul Haque, joint co-ordinator of the organisation, and an activist Mustafiz from Baitul Mukarram area as they were returning home.
The two warships, USS Essex and USS Kearsarge, each carrying 20 helicopters, with emergency relief supplies, medical and emergency evacuation teams are scheduled to enter Bangladesh waters on Saturday and Tuesday.
The ships could be used in medical evacuation and survey of the cyclone-ravaged areas and will co-ordinate their relief efforts with the Bangladesh military, the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement.
Witnesses said, large contingents of armed police, plainclothes and detective branch police remained on guard on roads surrounding Baitul Mukarram, including the meeting venue at the north gate of the mosque, since 12:30pm.
The leaders and activists of Hizbut Tahrir assembled inside Baitul Mukarram compound after the Juma prayers in preparation for the protest rally. As soon as the protesters took out a procession and tried to march down the road the law enforcers intercepted them at the north gate of the mosque.
The police action forced the protesters to remain within the confines of the mosque compound where they held a rally. The protesters demanded immediate return of the US warships.
The protesters carried a banner reading ‘Prevent American ships from entering the Bay of Bengal in the name of distributing relief’ and chanted slogans ‘Go back to America’ and ‘US has no place in Bangladesh.’
Kazi Morshedul Haque told the rally that every Bangladeshi had come forward, including the army, navy and air force, in aid of the cyclone victims, ‘so it is a shame on us, Muslims, that we are allowing the US on our land.’ A press release signed by the publicity and media secretary of the organisation, Mustafa Minhaz, condemned the arrest of Morshed and Mustafiz and demanded their immediate release.