Police blocked a march of hard-line Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh towards French embassy in Dhaka at the capital’s Shantinagar crossing on Monday.
Hefazat began the march from Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Purana Paltan in the capital in a bid to besiege the French embassy in Baridhara protesting at French president Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks on Islam.
Macron recently defended French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo’s right to publish cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, triggering a wave of condemnation across the Muslim world.
Leaders and activists of Hefazat began to arrive at Baitul Mukarram area from the early morning, turning the national mosque and its adjacent areas into a human sea by 10:30am.
A huge number of police were deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.
Police barred traffic movement at Gulistan, Topkhana road, Bijoynagar, Dainik Bangla, Kakrail crossing and Paltan areas that created a huge traffic jam in the surrounding areas.
Before starting the march, Hefazat held a rally, participated by thousands of its supporters with the leaders of the group demanding that the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad pass a motion of condemnation against France and the government officially lodge a strong protest against the country.
They urged the people to boycott French products and demanded that the French president seek an apology to the Muslims of the world for his comments. They also demanded the withdrawal of the magazine’s caricatures immediately.
They urged the government to cut diplomatic ties with France, close the French embassy in Dhaka and expel the French ambassador from the country.
Protesters carried posters written in Bangla, English and Arabic reading ‘Boycott France,’ ‘Continue anti-France Protests’, ‘Stop Islamophobia,’ ‘I love Muhammad’, ‘Freedom of speech is not freedom to abuse’, Kick Out France’, ‘Honourable prime minister, boycott France’, ‘Macron will pay a high price,’ etc.
Many protesters wore headbands reading ‘Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Dhaka City’ and verses from the holy Quran while others carried portraits of the French president with a ‘cross’ mark on his face.
Some protesters carried Macron’s effigies with garlands of shoes around its neck. A few protesters were seen wearing black vests with words expressing their love for the prophet.
The march towards the French embassy, led by Hefazat secretary general Junaid Babunagari, began around 12:15pm and the protesters chanted slogan against France and its president while expressing their love for the prophet.
The protesters burnt the photos and effigies of Macron and France’s national flag on the way.
As the march reached near Shantinagar crossing, about one kilometre from Baitul Mukarram, police barricaded the march, prompting the marchers to hold a short rally there.
Some marchers, defying the police barricade advanced towards Mouchak crossing but came back to Shantinagar at the call of their leaders.
Addressing the rally, Hefazat secretary general Babunagari urged the government to close the French embassy in Dhaka in 24 hours and demanded that Macron seek a public apology for his remarks.
Hefazat’s Dhaka city president, Nur Hossain Kashemi, who is also Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh secretary general, announced the end of the day's programme by administrating a prayer session at about 12:45pm.
He said that they would announce further programme later.
A number of police personnel, adjacent shop owners and staff, as well as passers-by, were seen participating in the prayer session.
Police said it took them about half-an-hour to ease traffic movement in the areas after the programme.
On October 27, another Islamist party Islami Andolan Bangladesh began a march from Baitul Mukarrom to besiege French embassy in Dhaka before police barricaded them at the same point.
Bangladesh is witnessing street protests against Macron’s remarks for over a week.
