The suicide bomb attacks on a Udichi function killed eight people including cultural activists Kawaja Haider Khan and Sudipta Paul Sheli and injured 42 others.

CPB President Manjurul Ahsan Khan and other central leaders of the party addressed the rally presided over by Shah Abdul Motalive, its Netrakona unit president.

The speakers included CPB central leader Azharul Islam Arzu, Dr. Dibalok Singh, Emdadul Millat and local leaders Khandaker Anisur Rahaman, Kawja Humayan Kabir and Joly Talukder.

The speakers condemned the bomb attack by Islamists and bitterly criticised the alleged inaction by Netreakona police to arrest the culprits.

They alleged that the police lax in arresting the culprits is due to political influence by some ruling party leaders in Netrakona.

Police so far arrested only one JMB activist involved in the bomb blasts.

They said ruling party leaders in Netrakona are protecting militants as a partner in the ruling coalition is their godfather.

The bomb attacks are part of a blue print by the government to create a chaotic situation in the country and cling to power, they said and called upon all progressive forces to unite to dislodge the government which protects militants who are killing people in the name of Islam.

The government was warned by opposition political parties time and again, but it did not care. So it can not disown its responsibility as regards JMB, Bangla Bhai and other groups of Islamist militants who are also defaming Bangladesh as a country of fundamentalists abroad. This is also ruining the economy.

Arrested militance have been charged under the Explosives Act instead of sedition. This proves the government's attitude towards the militants, the speakers said.

Such violence will not stop till the government is dislodged, the CPB leaders said and urged the people to rally round the progressive political forces in the anti-government agitation.