Hundreds of thousands of people joined the ongoing student protests in Dhaka, Chattogram and elsewhere yesterday with renewed vigour, while the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital became the focal point of the movement.
From a mammoth gathering at the Shaheed Minar, the coordinators of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced their “one-point demand” for the resignation of the current government. They also demanded the formation of an “acceptable and inclusive” national government.
People from all over Dhaka began to swarm the premises from 2pm. By 2:45pm, over a thousand students gathered at the site. Shortly after, a procession under the banner of freedom fighters arrived with more than a hundred people.
At 3:10pm, a massive influx of students from Jhigatala arrived, followed by nearly twice the number from Shantinagar and Badda areas. By 3:45pm, all the surrounding streets were packed with students and guardians.
Rickshaw pullers joined in, chanting slogans alongside teachers, musicians, architects and doctors and people from other professions, who expressed solidarity with students. Parents came with their children, of all ages, many wearing red-green bandana and carrying flags.
Around 5:30pm, Nahid Islam on behalf of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement read out a statement.
“Since, under the current government’s orders, indiscriminate mass killings have occurred, with no one—women, children, students, teachers, or workers—being spared;
“Since, instead of prosecuting these atrocities, the government is arbitrarily arresting and torturing students and the public;
“Since, the government’s law enforcement agencies used lethal firearms to carry out these killings;
“Since, students, teachers, workers, and the general public believe that impartial justice and investigation are not possible under this government;
“We, therefore, declare a one-point demand for the resignation of the current autocratic government.”
He added, “At the same time, we demand the formation of an acceptable and inclusive national government under the leadership of a person acceptable to all.”
Protesters concluded the programme around 6pm. On the way from Shaheed Minar to Shahbagh, protesters tied red clothes on the faces of the Raju Memorial and the Joy Bangla Joy Tarunya Sculptures.
They gathered at the Shahbagh intersection after concluding their programme at around 7pm. Some took position in front of the Shahbagh Police station as well as gathering at the intersection. They were chanting slogans on their way back.
No talks with govt
While Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered talks earlier in the day, the students have no plan to sit with the government, one of the coordinators told the news reporter.
There are also reports that the PM has assigned three senior Awami League leaders to talk to quota reform movement coordinators.
“We are trying to communicate with them,” AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif MP, one of the three assigned leaders, said. The two others include the party’s praesidium member, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, and joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim.
Protests, violence elsewhere
Students, teachers and locals also protested in Mirpur-10, Basundhara, Shantinagar, Science Lab areas of the capital.
Students of Jahangirnagar University withdrew an hour of blockade of the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at 1:50pm. The JU students also gave an ultimatum to open all university halls within 24 hours.
Outside Dhaka, the protests continued in Rajshahi, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Lakshmipur, Kushtia, Brahmanbaria and Barishal, among some other districts. There were sporadic incidents of violent clashes in Gazipur, Naogaon, Cumilla, Faridpur, Bogura, and Sylhet.
One person, Jahangir Alam, 45, died amid clashes between police and protesters in Gazipur’s Sreepur yesterday.
In Chattogram, thousands of people gathered at the New Market area at around 3:30pm. Students chanted slogans demanding justice for the killing of their classmates. Parents also joined in.
In Narayanganj, protesters blocked the roads near the Chashara intersection at around 11:30am. Students from various educational institutions gathered in front of the Chashara Shaheed Minar and started a procession. The procession moved along the city’s Bangabandhu Road towards the No-2 Railway Gate.
In Rajshahi, students and locals gathered in front of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology gate and blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway at 10am.
They chanted slogans while taking positions on the highway. University teachers, lawyers, and people from various professions participated in the protest with students.
In Cumilla, at least 30 people were injured, including five with bullet injuries, as activists of Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League allegedly attacked protesters. The incident took place in the Police Lines area of the city around 1:30pm when students were protesting against government crackdown.
