Hijbut Tahrir protests against incoming US navy ships
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Hundreds of protesters of the Hizbut Tahrir Bangladesh Friday staged demonstrations in the city demanding that the two US navy ships, which are preparing to stand by the cyclone victims, leave Bangladesh waters, according to the bdnews24.com.
Some 300 protesters from the Islamist outfit, which vehemently campaigns against the US policy across the world, chanted slogans on the Baitul Mokarram National Mosque premises after Friday's weekly congregation.
They chanted slogans such as "Go back to America" and "US has no place in Bangladesh".
The police prevented the protesters, who briefly tried to cross the security barrier, from pouring onto streets.
The brief protests came as the US ships prepared Friday to deliver much-needed food and treatment supplies to thousands of villagers across the cyclone-hit southern coast.
The protesters carried a banner, reading "Prevent American ships from entering the Bay of Bengal in the name of distributing relief".
Quazi Morshedul Huq, a senior leader of the group, asked the interim government not to allow the US ships into the waters of Bangladesh.
"It's a shame for us as Muslims that we are allowing the US to enter into Bangladesh territory," Huq said, adding that every Bangladeshi should come forward to join their campaign.
The USS Essex and USS Kearsarge were expected to arrive by Monday. The ships are carrying at least 20 helicopters each of which will help deliver water, food and medical supplies to survivors, the US officials said.
The ships could be used for medical evacuations and surveying the affected areas and will coordinate with the Bangladeshi military, the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement.
The US navy prepared Friday to deliver much-needed food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of coastal people whose homes were destroyed by the cyclone 'Sidr', a top US military commander said.
"We are here to help the people in their time of need," Adm. Timothy Keating, the top US military commander in the Pacific Ocean, told reporters.
Some 300 protesters from the Islamist outfit, which vehemently campaigns against the US policy across the world, chanted slogans on the Baitul Mokarram National Mosque premises after Friday's weekly congregation.
They chanted slogans such as "Go back to America" and "US has no place in Bangladesh".
The police prevented the protesters, who briefly tried to cross the security barrier, from pouring onto streets.
The brief protests came as the US ships prepared Friday to deliver much-needed food and treatment supplies to thousands of villagers across the cyclone-hit southern coast.
The protesters carried a banner, reading "Prevent American ships from entering the Bay of Bengal in the name of distributing relief".
Quazi Morshedul Huq, a senior leader of the group, asked the interim government not to allow the US ships into the waters of Bangladesh.
"It's a shame for us as Muslims that we are allowing the US to enter into Bangladesh territory," Huq said, adding that every Bangladeshi should come forward to join their campaign.
The USS Essex and USS Kearsarge were expected to arrive by Monday. The ships are carrying at least 20 helicopters each of which will help deliver water, food and medical supplies to survivors, the US officials said.
The ships could be used for medical evacuations and surveying the affected areas and will coordinate with the Bangladeshi military, the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement.
The US navy prepared Friday to deliver much-needed food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of coastal people whose homes were destroyed by the cyclone 'Sidr', a top US military commander said.
"We are here to help the people in their time of need," Adm. Timothy Keating, the top US military commander in the Pacific Ocean, told reporters.