By IANS,
Kolkata : As the Shahbag Movement demanding death penalty for Bangladeshi war criminals continues in the neighbouring country, the city is gearing up to show its solidarity with the movement on Bangladesh’s independence day Tuesday.
Exhibitions, discussions and cultural events have been lined up in Kolkata March 26 to show solidarity with the Shahbag Movement and to celebrate the day when Bangladesh declared its freedom in 1971.
An exhibition of over 70 photos of the Shahbag Movement will be shown at the Coffee House Tuesday by poet Shankha Ghosh. The event will continue till April 13.
‘Long Live Shahbag’, an event involving panel discussions and cultural programmes, will be held in the city’s southern outskirts in Garia Tuesday.
Painters, artists, students, writers, theatre personalities, elocutionists, dancers will attend a programme christened “Kolkata Besides Shahbag” at Shahid Surya Sen Bhawan in South Kolkata.
While the city is supporting the movement, some Muslim groups believe the war crimes trial is a “farce” and the Shahbag Movement is actually a “war against Islam”.
The religious groups have organised a rally Tuesday where they will apprise people about the “real motive” behind the Shahbag Movement.
“The movement is aimed at maligning and insulting Islam and the prophet. Bangladeshi president Sheikh Hasina is using the movement to suppress the opposition,” said All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Raisuddin.