Backed by leading cultural organisations, the students under the banner, "Humayun Azad Mancha to Protect Freethinking and Resist Undemocratic Forces", are scheduled to hold a 'solidarity rally' at the foot of Aparajeo Bangla at 10:00am today to protest yesterday's police attacks. The JCD has also announced a rally there at the same time to keep the campus 'chaos-free' in an apparent bid to foil the programme.

The JCD has also threatened to resist demonstrations protesting the attack on the eminent writer. It has asked the residential students not to join any demonstration to protest the attack. Leaders and activists of the JCD yesterday looked for students who joined demonstrations in the last few days on the campus.

BNP's cultural front the Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha was holding a cultural programme near the Teacher-Student Centre late last night after racing onto the podium the students had erected.

The Sammilito Sangskritik Jote (SSJ) and four other cultural organisations namely Group Theatre Federation, Aabritee Samannya Parishad, Jatiya Kabita Parishad and Pathanatak Parishad will hold a citizen's protest rally at and take out a 'black flag' procession from the Central Shaheed Minar at 4:00pm today.

They urged all socio-cultural and political organisations to make today's programmes successful.

The SSJ and the allied organisations called the programmes to protest the recent deadly attack on writer Humayun Azad, unprecedented rise in incidents of murder, repression and human-rights violations in the country.

Dr Kamal Hossain, convenor of the Oikya Prochesta, a socio-political platform, said the people are gravely concerned about the rising violence and a trend towards confrontation.

Presiding over a meeting of the platform yesterday in the city, Kamal, also president of the Gono Forum, said the brutal attack on Azad is an attack on the country's progressive forces, which no-one should undermine.

Meanwhile, different organisations yesterday also condemned the police brutality on Dhaka University students and demanded punishment of the police officials responsible for the attack. They also expressed grave concern over the brutal attack on Azad.

The organisations include Bangladesh Jubo Moitree, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Awami Sechhashebak League, Gonoshanhati Aandalan, Jatiya Chhatra Dhara, 11-Party Alliance, Bangladesh Student's Union and Bangladesh Communist Party.

They have announced different programmes including formation of a human chain, student strike and rally for today to protest the incidents and demand the release of the students picked up by police. Colonel Taher Sangsad also condemned yesterday's police atrocities.

An emergency meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association yesterday chaired by its President Rokanuddin Mahmud also condemned the attack on Azad.