Coffin procession seeks home boss' resignation

A faction of Gonojagoron Mancha yesterday demanded resignation of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal over his failure to arrest the killers of freethinker bloggers, writers and a publisher, including Dipan.

Activists of the mancha led by Imran H Sarker made the demand while moving towards the home ministry with six symbolic coffins covered with national flags.

They also demanded a ban on religion-based politics in the country.

Five of the coffins symbolised Avijit Roy, Oyasiqur Rahman Babu, Ananta Bijoy Das, Niladri Chattapadhyay and Dipan while the remaining one symbolised another freethinker for whom they are ready to bring out another procession.

Their way, however, was barred by police near Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

Later, five people, including Imran, on behalf of the platform, met the minister in his office and submitted a memorandum demanding arrest of the perpetrators.

After the meeting, Imran told journalists that such killings proved that the "government is patronising militants".

Replying to a query, he said the home  minister assured them of arresting the attackers but could not give any deadline.

Earlier in the morning, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal formed a human chain in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh in protest against the murders.

Gonojagoron Mancha will stage a solidarity rally of freethinkers at 3:00pm today at Shahbagh.

Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan was stabbed to death at Shahbagh's Aziz Market following attacks on another publisher Ahmedur Rashid Tutul of Shuddhoswar and two bloggers Ranadipam Basu and Tareque Rahim in the same manner in Lalmatia on Saturday.