Tens of thousands joined a march in Dhaka on Thursday in honour of 20 people killed in a grenade attack on an opposition rally by suspected Islamic militants a week ago, officials said.
About 30 000 opposition activists, barefoot and holding black flags, took part in the silent march held under tight security.
The 3km street march was sponsored by Bangladesh’s largest opposition party, the Awami League, and backed by half a dozen smaller groups in the country.
The authorities deployed paramilitary border guards and riot police along the mourners’ route.
The Awami League blamed the August 21 attack on Islamic militants within the ruling Nationalist-Islamist coalition of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
League officials claim the attack on their rally was directed against party chairperson and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was addressing the crowd as nine grenades exploded in quick succession.
Hasina escaped the attempt on her life with minor injuries but a bodyguard was killed in the blast.
Among the dead was a central leader of the party, Ivy Rahman.
Several former Cabinet ministers were also injured critically and were being treated in hospitals. — Sapa-DPA