Peace turned to fury on the streets of Urumqi thirteen years ago after protests over the killing of Uyghur factory workers in inner China fell on deaf ears. Later that evening merciless summary retaliatory justice was meted out by Chinese troops that mowed down hundreds of Uyghur civilians, their bodies piled onto trucks and disappeared. The July 2009 Urumqi riots were a series of violent riots over several days that broke out on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), in Northwestern China.
Narayanganj: Sanchetan Nagarik samaj organized a protest demonstration followed by human chain on the 13th anniversary of Urumqi Massacre at Narayanganj main city on July 5 at 1100 hrs. The rally started from Pagla Bazaar and ended at Aligong School, Narayanganj. A huge gathering of about 600 people, carrying banners, posters and festoons with slogans in Bangla and English highlighting Chinese atrocities against Uyghur Muslims participated in the protest demonstration. Speaking on the occasion SM Humayun Kabir, Secretary National Workers League Fataullah Regional Committee and other speakers condemned China for imprisoning lakhs of Uyghur Muslims and urged the people to condemn China for its inhumane activities.
Dhaka: To mark the Occasion, Bangladesh Social Activist Forum organized a discussion meeting at the seminar hall of National Press Club, Dhaka at 1145 hrs(July 5) to highlight Chinese persecution of Uyghurs and remembering the unfortunate event of the 2009 Urumqi massacre. Speakers including Prof. Dr. Allama Ataur Rahman Miaji, Dhaka University; Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, Bangladesh NAP Secretary General; Ahmad Osmani, commentator Hazrat Allama Alhaj among others voiced their concerns collectively towards ongoing atrocities on the Uyghur muslim community, especially at China’s Xinjiang Province. They also organized a human chain holding banners, posters, in front of National Press Chattar and Paltan road, where people congregated to watch/participate in the human chain.
Separately, The BBSS Welfare Association organized a bicycle rally, Postering at prominent places in the Dhaka and protest meeting wherein students of different schools and colleges, journalists, leaders and activists of political parties took part. The bicycle rally started from Dhanmondi at 10 AM and ended that Hatirjheel via Rasel Square. More than 150 persons including journalists, prominent personalities and students took part in the bicycle rally. The protest meeting was presided over by the founding chairman of the organization Tawfiq Ahmed Tafsir. Emdadul Haque Chalek, Central leader of Jatiya Swechchhasebak Party, Mohiuddin, central leader of Bangladesh Jasdar, Nasir Uddin Munshi, central leader of Jatiya Party took part in the brief discussion conducted by Shafiqul Islam, Secretary General of the organization and producer of Gazi TV.
Indeed, the Urumqi riots marked a turning point for the Uyghurs, but ethnic tensions lasted for decades, if not centuries. The Urumqi massacre of 2009 has been compared to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. These protests highlight the support of Muslims of Bangladesh for Uyghur Muslim brothers against the oppression of the Chinese government forces.
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