By Staff Correspondent
Mau movement by the mainstream opposition pollti cal alliance, parties and student organisations that culm! nated tn the fall of the Ershad Government on December 6 began on this day (October IO)
The nine-year opposition movement to press for the resignation of the Ershad gov ernment and holding of elections under a neutral caretaker government gained fresh life with observance of the October 10 sitin demonstration around the Secretariat, the major programme by the Opposition after the Dhaka siege programme of November 10. 1987.
During observance of the five people were killed and several hundred Injured tn a scries of pitched battles be tween the police and the political activists in the capital city.
The clashes were concentrated mostly In the Motljheel Commercial Area. Gulistan, Nawabpur, and New Market areas where the demonstrators damaged and set on fire vehicles. and petrol pumps, brick-batted police, blasted crackers and attacked the ruling Jatlya Party city office at Motljheel. Police opened fire and lobbed teargas shells at the demon-strators.
Since morning, streams of processions from different parts of the city converged at the Bangabaridhu Avenue, northern gate of the Baitul Mukarram, and the General Post Office arcus chanting anti-government slogans.
Strong contingents of police were also posted at various strategic points including the Dhaka University, Shahbagh crossing. Secretariat, Dalnik Bangla crossing, Shapla Square, Gulistan, New Market and Farmgate areas since the morning.
In the clashes over 40 policemen were also wounded by the demonstrators.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Awami League, and other parties called a half-day hartal for the following day in protest against the deaths tn police firing.
The All-Party Student Organisations led by the Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) which also supported the hartal call look oath keeping the body of Zahcd. one of the five killed, at the Aparajcyo Bangla premises on the Dhaka University campus not to leave the streets until the government fell.
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Thus the opposition alliances, parties and student bodies carried forward the movement aimed at bringing an end to the nine year auto-
cratic El-shad regime that captured power illegally in a coup in 1982.
During the 56-day continuous movement since October
10. a number of anti government political activists were killed by police and pro government terrorists. The Opposition also held various
identical programmes including hartal, blockades of roads and rails and ghcrao of government offices of district and upaziia level.
The government launched various repressive measures inc luding imposition of emergency and curfew, shut.down the educational institutions
and resort lo actions by the members of the police, and the BDR in abortive bids lo lame the protesters. But the protesters took lo Ihe streets
defying government instruc-
Tbr Opposition movement took a significant turn on November 19. when the three mainstream Opposition alliances announced a Joint Declaration which contained the formula for transfer of power from the autocratic Ershad government to the interim government. holding of elections under it and transfer of power by the Interim government to an elected government.
The government declared a state of emergency on November 27 when Dr Shamsul Alam Kljan Milon was murdered by the governmpnt-backcd terrorists on the Dhaka University.
All the national dallies and weeklies slopped publication protesting the imposition of emergency.
Government called in the army to resist the protesters. The Army defied the government order while the BDR was called in.
Anti-govcrnmcni' demonstrators thronged the city streets violating the curfew. Clashes took place In different parts of the city between the BDR'and political activists on the night of November 27.
Similar Incidents also took place on November 28. 29. 30. and December 1 and 2.
On December 3. Ershad announced through the stale-owned media that he would resign 15 days before elections But the protests continued in the city and the BNP chairperson liegum Khaleda Zia and the Awami League leader Dr. Kamal Iios sain In separate Interviews with the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Voice of America asked Ershad to resign without further delay.
On December 4 at 10 pm Ershad announced to resigrt Immediately and called upon the Opposition leaders to nominate a neutral person lo whom he would tender hts resigna
On December. 5. the mainstream Opposition alliances and parties named Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed as the Acting President lo head an interim government under which the elections would be
On December 6, Ershad handed his resignation to Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed and transferred power lo him.
With the sweartng-in of Abdur Rahman Biswas yesterday (October 9) the process of the nation's transition to democracy ended.