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National
Kyle Dowling

Anti-crime rally held outside NT parliament following death of Md Isfaqur Rahman

The anti-crime rally follows a string of violent incidents in the Top End this year. (ABC News: Kyle Dowling)

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Northern Territory's Parliament House on Thursday to call for immediate action to address violent crime.

The rally was held a week after Bangladeshi student Md Isfaqur Rahman was killed following an alleged violent home invasion and was the third anti-crime protest in the city in as many months.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder, aggravated burglary and theft in the relation to the incident.

The rally follows a series of high-profile violent incidents in Darwin this year, including the fatal stabbings of bottle-shop worker Declan Laverty and a 51-year-old woman in the CBD.

Members of Darwin's Bangladeshi community attended the rally to call for an end to violence.

Chowdhury Sadaruddin, who was at the rally, said something had to change.

"It's not hard to understand that something is going wrong [so] let's fix it. Let's get together and fix it," he said.

Signs with the face of Md Isfaqur Rahman were seen across the rally. (ABC News: Kyle Dowling)

Dr Edwin Joseph, the president of the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory, said Mr Rahman's death was the latest in a series of tragedies that had rocked the entire NT community.

"Four victims killed in the last two months — one was an international student, one moved interstate from Queensland, and the other two were Indigenous people," he said.

Chowdhury Sadaruddin at the anti-crime rally in Darwin. (ABC News: Kyle Dowling)

"Every NT resident, be it an Indigenous [person] or a recent migrant, is somehow affected.

"A permanent solution may not happen overnight. But some serious measures need to be taken immediately so that people live without fear."

Protesters demanded action on crime following Declan Laverty's death in March. (ABC News: Matt Garrick)

Samara Laverty, Declan Laverty's mother, attended the rally and voiced a strong plea for action.

"There should be no more parents who receive that call," she said.

"There needs to be stronger laws and stronger deterrence."

Lynda Price-Winter travelled hours from Dundee Beach to attend the rally.

She said the violent incidents were despairing for residents.

"I'm feeling pretty angry that this sort of demonstration has to happen in order to be heard," she said.

Lynda Price-Winter put her support behind growing calls for action on crime. (ABC News: Kyle Dowling)

Daryl Hyne, a lifelong Darwin resident, said he had "three cars stolen around [him] in the past three months".

"Previously I had a home invasion at my house where someone got hit over the head with a bottle, to break-ins right next door ... it's just out of control," he said.

He said anxiety in the community was causing people to leave.

"I spoke to two of my friends that have lived here all their life, and they're leaving, they're packed up," he said. 

"They're going down the Sunny Coast. For one reason: they're scared to be here.

"Why would you want to live here anymore?"

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