The agitation for the demand spread across the country after a handful of protesters had started it on Tuesday at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka.

The Shahbagh gathering later turned into a massive protest with several thousand people occupying the intersection to protest against the ‘soft’ verdict of life term and it was still going on Thursday for the third straight day.

The International War Crimes Tribunal-2 on Tuesday sentenced Molla to life in prison that the protesters are calling ‘too light’ compared to the crimes he did during the War of Independence in 1971.

People from all social classes are staging many protest programmes including blockades, meetings, rallies, processions, human-chains and demonstrations.

Leaders and activists of socio-political and cultural organisations have also expressed solidarity with the protests. Protestors sang patriotic songs and held cultural functions participated mostly by youths and freedom fighters.

bdnews24.com correspondents from districts reported that people in large number attended the programmes along with families on Thursday.

Teachers, students and professionals of universities have also lent their support to the demand and attended the protests against the verdict of the tribunal.

Hours after the delivery of the verdict, people assembled at Shahbagh protesting it. The angry crowd blockaded the busy intersection and began demonstrating demanding death sentence for the Jamaat leader who was once called ‘Butcher of Mirpur’ for his role in mass murders and other crimes during the war.

The demonstration in Dhaka was continuing on Thursday and a mass rally has been called at the same venue for 3pm on Friday.

Chandpur

The Chandpur Government College unit of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front took out a procession from the campus, formed a human chain and held a rally in front of the college library.

Magura

Students of Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College started a sit-in over the same demand at the town’s MR Road in the morning. Ordinary people, leaders and activists of different student and cultural organisations joined the programme.

Brahmanbaria

Different socio-cultural organisations, citizen platforms and political parties demonstrated in front of the Brahmanbaria Press Club at 10am on Thursday.

Manikganj

Freedom fighters, youths, students and activists of political parties blockaded the Dhaka-Manikganj bus stand area from 11:30am to 12:30pm in protest against the tribunal verdict. They also took out a procession later from there.

Kushtia

Around 200 students, teachers and employees of Islamic University in Kushtia formed a human chain and staged a rally around 11am in front of the Administrative Building. Leaders and activists of BCL’s university unit also demonstrated around 12pm demanding capital punishment for Molla.

Narayanganj

Narayanganj Sangskritik Jote began agitating at the Central Shaheed Minar at Chasharha in the morning. They also staged a mock hanging of Molla.

Shahjalal University

Students and teachers of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology demonstrated all day long by taking out processions, holding rallies, forming a human chain and organising cultural programmes.

Noakhali

Protestors in Noakhali were demonstrating from Wednesday night at the Muktijoddha Smriti Phalak in the town expressing solidarity with the movement in the capital.

Indefinite sit-ins also started on Thursday afternoon at Bijay Mancha and in front of Noakhali Press Club over the same demand.

Laxmipur