Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday urged the leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies to work dedicatedly to tackle the crisis due to coronavirus pandemic.

He made the call in his speech sent to media on the occasion of the historic Six-point Day, marking the demand for autonomy for the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh,  which will be observed on Friday across the country in a different manner this year.

He also called upon the country’s people and the AL leaders and workers to follow the 31-point instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to prevent the deadly coronavirus.

Alongside paying rich tributes to the memories of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman he prayed for the martyrs of June 7 and all martyrs of the Liberation War. 

On this day in 1966, the Awami League (AL) under the charismatic leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a day-long hartal throughout East Pakistan, pressing the demand for autonomy to end the exploitation, deprivation, subjugation and tyranny of the then central government of Pakistan on the people here.

People took to the streets during the dawn-to-dusk hartal throughout the province and the law enforcement agencies, including the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), opened fire on the demonstrators in Tongi, Dhaka and Narayanganj that left 11 people, including labour leader Monu Miah, Shafique and Shamsul Huq, killed.