Following mass protests by students demanding quota reforms in state jobs, the government attempted to forcibly suppress the demonstrations, even imposing a nationwide curfew on July 19.
In response to the government's request, the Supreme Court ordered 93 per cent of quotas to be allocated to merit-based positions, with the remaining 7 per cent reserved for freedom fighters, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and people of the third gender.
However, student leaders placed another nine-point demand, including the resignation of Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Among the demands was also the arrest and punishment of those responsible for the killings of students during the protests.
To date, none of the students' demands have been addressed, leading to renewed anger among the protesters. The government still smells a rat in the movement, expressing suspicion regarding the motivations behind the protests.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday claimed that a vested group is attempting to manipulate the situation by turning it into a government versus student game.
As a result, thousands of youths from various educational institutions across the country held rallies despite torrential monsoon rains, resulting in one death in Habiganj and hundreds of injuries.
People from all walks of life joined the students’ rally, particularly at the Central Shaheed Minar premises on Friday.
Protesters chanted slogans demanding an end to repression and mass arrests, relief from the curfew, the resignation of the current government, and justice for the student killings.
The Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon last Thursday announced a nationwide prayer and student procession for Friday to protest against the "massacre and mass arrests" and to press for their nine-point demand.
Abdul Kader, one of the coordinators of the movement, urged all citizens, including teachers, workers, professionals, cultural activists, human rights workers, intellectuals, students, and even those of madrasas, to support and make the programme successful.
The movement platform also announced fresh demonstrations starting Saturday, including a nationwide protest rally and an indefinite "non-cooperation" movement from Sunday, confirmed key coordinator Mahin Sarkar at around 8pm on Friday.
Students’ rallies in Dhaka draw thousands
Thousands of students rallied at Central Shaheed Minar and the Jatiya Press Club to protest against mass killings and arrests by law enforcement agencies. Notable figures such as Professor Anu Muhammad and Professor Asif Nazrul joined the demonstrations.
After Juma prayers at Baitul Mukarram Mosque, people marched towards Shahbagh via Paltan, the Press Club, and Matsya Bhaban. Students also occupied key roads in Uttara, Science Lab intersection, Badda, Rampura and Aftabnagar.
Hundreds of students gathered at Science Lab intersection around 1pm, demanding justice for recent killings. A substantial police presence, including prison vans, was observed at the scene, reports our photographer from the spot.
Earlier, at 10am, students organised a procession and rally in front of Rajuk Uttara Model College as part of the Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon. Teachers and guardians joined the protest, which halted traffic for two hours.
Police clashed with protesting students from private universities, Rajuk Uttara Model College, and Milestone College, among others, in the capital's Uttara.
Videos circulating online allegedly showed police firing teargas shells and sound grenades at the protesters to disperse them, though this could not be independently verified.
Artists rally against genocide & oppression
In protest against recent nationwide killings, arrests, and oppression, artists under the platform “Artists Against Genocide and Oppression" held a rally in the Dhanmondi area on Friday morning.
Amid escalating demands for quota reform and widespread violence against students, the artists declared it essential to raise their voices in protest. They condemned the indiscriminate killings being carried out under the guise of suppression.
Visual artists, photographers, performance artists, musicians, poets, writers, researchers, architects, and art organizers attended the rally.
‘Forced to withdraw statement’
Student leaders Nahid Islam, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Asif Mahmud, Nusrat Tabassum, and Abu Baker Majumdar stated on Friday that they did not voluntarily issue a statement to withdraw their movement while they were forcibly detained by the detective branch of police.
"Since July 19, the coordinators of the Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon have been missing, arrested, tortured, and harassed primarily to disperse the movement and its leadership. Subsequently, six coordinators were forcibly detained in DB custody for seven days in the name of 'security'. Although the home minister and the DB chief spoke of security, we were kept in DB custody to isolate us from the movement," they said.
Rallies outside Dhaka
In Chattogram, the protest titled "Prayer and Mass March of Students and Citizens" began around 1:45pm at Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque. Despite the downpour, students marched from Anderkilla to Laldighi and later to the New Market area, where they staged a half-hour demonstration.
In Khulna, students took to the streets around 3pm to press their nine-point demand. They chanted slogans condemning recent violence by police, RAB, and BGB during the quota reform movement. The students initially gathered at Shibbari intersection but were later dispersed by police. Despite the intervention, the students regrouped and marched towards the Khulna University.
In Habiganj, hundreds of protesters brought out a procession on Town Hall Road after Friday prayers. When the rally was crossing the district Awami League office around 3pm, unidentified miscreants set it on fire. A clash soon broke out between protesters and police, leaving one dead and at least 100 injured. Agitators also pelted brickbats and stones at the residence of Habiganj-3 constituency Member of Parliament Abu Zahir.
Int’l orgs to monitor situation
The United Nations is "ready" to assist Bangladesh in conducting an inquiry into the violence and fatalities that occurred during protests against quotas reserved for government jobs. Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, made the comment while responding to a question at a press briefing on Wednesday.
At least 32 children were killed in Bangladesh during unrest centring on the student protests in July, with many more injured and detained, said UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Sanjay Wijesekera.
In a statement on Friday, he also urged the authorities to reopen all schools, restart learning, and reunite children with their friends and teachers to help them recover from the violence and to keep them safe. "I have just returned from a week in Bangladesh, and I am deeply concerned about the impact of recent violence and ongoing unrest on children," Wijesekera said.
The European Union (EU) has conveyed its grave concern to Bangladesh over the announcement of a “shoot on sight” policy and “unlawful killings” perpetrated in recent days by the authorities. On the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Laos on July 27, the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell Fontelles, conveyed these concerns to Bangladesh's representative and former foreign minister, Dr AK Abdul Momen.
“I am also deeply concerned by the killings of law enforcement officers, violence, torture, mass arrests, and damage to property that have taken place,” said the EU high representative in a statement.
These acts must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible brought to justice, added Fontelles, who is also vice-president of the European Commission.
Reopening of educational institutions uncertain!
Reopening educational institutions has become uncertain following Friday's student gathering. Even the reopening of primary schools, scheduled for August 4, is now in doubt as students announced new mass rallies on Sunday. Consequently, students from pre-primary to higher secondary levels may face learning losses, and higher education students could encounter session jams again.
Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel last Monday at the secretariat confirmed that the government has not yet taken any decision regarding the reopening of educational institutions.
“The overall situation of the country was discussed in the cabinet meeting. However, no decision has been reached regarding the reopening of educational institutions. After the situation normalises, all institutions will be reopened,” the minister added.
Sources at the education ministry indicated that there were plans to reopen educational institutions, anticipating that the students would cease their protests following the Supreme Court's verdict on quota reform. The ministry has also postponed the Higher Secondary Certificate equivalent exams till August 10.
