Leftist coalition begins road march from Dhaka to Chattogram

A coalition of leftist parties and groups, called the "Anti-Imperialist Patriotic People," launched a road march from Dhaka to Chattogram on Friday. The protest targets foreign control of ports and demands greater national sovereignty.

The march started with a rally at the National Press Club in Dhaka this morning.

The coalition has four main demands are keep management of Chattogram Port, including the New Mooring Terminal, under state control, cancel plans for a transit corridor through Rakhine, scrap the agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink project and end all unequal treaties with imperialist powers, especially the US and India, and make these public

Activists held placards with slogans such as “Interim government is the gatekeeper of imperialism” and “Ports and corridors are not for foreigners.”

Ruhin Hossain Prince, general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), said, “The 1971 Liberation War and the 2024 people's uprising both stem from a desire for true democracy free of imperialist control. Our anti-imperialist struggle continues.”

Prince warned the interim government to halt plans to lease ports or corridors to foreign powers. “If no action is taken, we will announce a broader programme of protest tomorrow,” he added.

Key leftist leaders including Mujahidul Islam Selim (former CPB president), Bazlur Rashid Firoz (Socialist Party), Mushtaq Hossain (Bangladesh Jasad), Nasiruddin Ahmed (People's Liberation Movement), and MM Akash (Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, and Mineral Resources) joined the rally.

Public intellectuals Serajul Islam Choudhury and Anu Muhammad showed support despite being unable to attend due to illness.

The march will continue with rallies at various points along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. A major gathering is planned at Cumilla Town Hall this evening.

Tomorrow’s events include a rally at Shaheed Minar in Feni and a concluding assembly at Chattogram Port at 5 p.m.