This morning, Dhaka’s streets were largely deserted, with shops closed as the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement and the AL-led 14-party alliance both announced programmes on the same day.
The Anti-Discrimination Students Movement initiated their non-cooperation movement from Shaheed Minar yesterday, while the Bangladesh Awami League-led 14-party alliance scheduled a rally in front of their office on Bangabandhu Avenue as part of a week-long protest against BNP’s “terrorism and anarchy.”
In anticipation of these events, most shops in Dhaka, including those in Basabo, Ahmedabad, Dhanmondi, Sobhanbagh, Panthapath, and Mohammadpur, remained shut this morning. Additionally, no long-haul buses departed from Sayedabad and Gabtoli.
Key areas such as the Signboard, Chattogram Road, and Madanpur on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Narayanganj were blocked. The city appeared empty, with ready-made garment factories declaring a holiday.
Protesters gathered around Shibu Market and the Stadium area in Narayanganj. Meanwhile, amid concerns of potential violence, the DSEX index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) dropped by 110 points within half an hour of trading.
