Bangladesh: Anti-Discrimination student movement to hold “March to Dhaka” today

The anti-discrimination student movement has announced that it will hold a “March to Dhaka” programme today to raise its one-point demand, which is the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. The Daily Star reported.

They urged students and people across the nation to participate in the march to Dhaka. Three coordinators of the movement–Asif Mahmud, Sarjis Alam, and Abu Baker Majumder, have confirmed their march, The Daily Star reported.

Initially, the “March to Dhaka” was set to take place on Tuesday. However, later, the march was rescheduled for Monday. The protest organisers said that the date of the ‘March to Dhaka’ was scheduled due to the deaths of numerous people and the current situation, according to The Daily Star report.

Earlier on August 3, the organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced a single-point demand for the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members. Nahid Islam, one of the key organisers, announced the demand at a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s announcement came after Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina urged the agitating students to sit with her at Gono Bhaban to end the violence focused on the quota reform protests.

She said, “Doors of Gono Bhaban are open. I want to sit with the agitating students and listen to them. I want no conflict.”

She made the remarks during a meeting with the central leaders of the Peshajibi Somonnoy Parishad (Professionals Coordination Council) at Gono Bhaban on Saturday. Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to release the detained general students.

Sheikh Hasina assured that trials for each killing during the anti-quota protest would be held. She said, “Trial of each of the killings must be held.”

She stated, “I am telling you again that I still want to hold talks if the agitators want. They can come any time (to Gono Bhaban). If required, they can come with their guardians.”

She announced her decision to cancel the proposed, universal pension scheme “Prottoy” for universities, and autonomous and state-owned organisations.

In the wake of the deepening crisis, Bangladesh announced the shutdown of public and private offices, including banks, for three days, while students have scheduled a long march for today, setting themselves on a potential collision course with pro-government groups, according to The Daily Star report.

The new wave of protests comes as demonstrators raised only one demand: the resignations of Hasina and her cabinet members. They also initiated a campaign of non-cooperation at the same time, advising citizens not to pay taxes and migrant workers not to remit money home via banking systems.

At least 93 people were killed as a fresh wave of violence gripped Bangladesh. Over thousands have sustained injuries, many with bullets, the Daily Star reported on Monday.

The anti-government protesters clashed with the police in at least 20 districts on the first day of the student-led non-cooperation campaign on Sunday, which intends to maintain pressure on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.

With yesterday’s tally, the anti-government rallies have claimed 300 lives in just three weeks, making it the bloodiest phase in Bangladesh’s civil movement history, the Daily Star reported.

The situation in Bangladesh became more tense after members of the ruling Awami League poured into the streets to quell anti-government demonstrations, turning things violent.

The protests in Bangladesh have erupted due to demands for reforming the quota system that reserves civil service jobs for specific groups, including descendants of 1971 war veterans.

The unrest intensified after students opposed a new policy allocating government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters, leading to violence, including attacks on state television headquarters and police booths in Dhaka.