The Anti-discrimination Student Movement organises a 'mass gathering' programme and also raises an anti-fascism platform at Zero Point of the capital on Sunday, marking Shaheed Nur Hossain Day. — FE Photo 
Deposed ruler Sheik Hasina's Awami League call for a comeback in Bangladesh's changed political arena went unheeded as student-people protesters called the shot and took over Dhaka's Gulistan square from early Sunday.
Witnesses said no activists of the embroiled party, whose chief is in safe shelter in neighbouring India, did turn up at the venue of paying respects to 1990 democracy martyr Noor Hossain.
A few faithful of the AL on sight around were caught by the protesters and whisked away on to police van.
Tensions boiled up through the key areas of the capital including Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram, Purana Paltan and Motijheel following the scheduled programme and counter-programme called by the students' movement against discrimination and the Awami League.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Student Movement against Discrimination massed at the Zero Point venue around 12.00 noon to prevent the scheduled rally and procession of the Awami League.
Earlier, the absentee AL on its verified facebook account announced Saturday the programme of holding rally at the Zero Point to mark Shaheed Noor Hossain Day on November 10.
The number of pedestrians and vehicular movement in Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram, Puranapaltan, Motijheel and adjoining areas and other parts of the capital were insignificant following a panicky situation that prevailed on the day-evidently as the July-August political upheavals are fresh in every mind.
A few people of AL tried to bring out procession during morning on the day in the Gulistan Zero Point area but they were caught by students and people and later handed over to police.
"No AL mend did appear at Zero Point during their scheduled programme at around 3:00pm," says a firsthand report.
Earlier, different political parties paid tributes to Noor Hossain by placing wreaths at Noor Hossain Chattar or Zero Point.
Speaking to the crowds, the Student Movement against Discrimination vowed not to allow what they called fascist Awami League to come back to politics.
They also demanded bringing back fallen "autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina to the country and putting her to trial along with her collaborators for killing students and people during the July-August (2024) student-mass uprising against the AL regime".
They said Sheikh Hasina started hatching conspiracy for a comeback to Bangladesh politics but she could not do that.
The student leaders also warned that they would not allow any conspiracy against Bangladesh, now under the rule of a post-uprising government.
"The future of Bangladesh is the future for the students," they said by one voice.
They called upon all to "resist the fascist Awami League".
"No Delhi, No Delhi. No Hasina, No Hasina. Only Bangladesh and Bangladesh. Inqilab Jindabad, Mujibbad Murdabad" slogans reverberated through the massive rally.
Atiq Hasan, a student who has lost his hand during the anti-Sheik Hasina movement during July-August, called upon the students not to give any chance to Awami League to come back to national politics.
Abu Bakkar, a student who got injuries during the mass uprising that topped the long-ruling AL government, vowed that they would remain "vanguard for the interim government".
The student leaders said that they want to establish a Bangladesh based on equality and justice.
Law-enforcing agencies were deployed in those areas to avert any untoward incident.
Coordinators of the Student Movement against Discrimination Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, 'child orator' Rafiqul Islam Madani, and others also spoke on the occasion.
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