Bangladesh student protests spread to diverse communities

A cross-section of people, including teachers, parents, civil society members, and cultural organisations, have joined the students in expressing solidarity with their demand to ensure justice for killings in the recent quota reform protests and end wholesale arrests, reported New Age, a leading English language daily published from Dhaka.

Thousands of people, which also included journalists, lawyers, politicians, student wings of political parties, and expatriate Bangladeshis, changed their profile pictures on various social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, using a red colour following a call made by protesting students.

The Student Movement Against Discrimination on Monday urged students and people from all walks of life to take photos in solo or groups, covering their faces and eyes with red clothes, and share those online as the next move of the protests rejecting a government morning announcement for Tuesday.

Many men and women were seen on Tuesday joining protests in different places clad in red dresses, while some people also masked their faces and foreheads with red fabrics.

Students defied obstacles to block roads and brought out processions in several areas to press home their nine-point charter of demands, including an unconditional apology from prime minister Sheikh Hasina by taking responsibility for the recent killings.

The other demands included the removal of certain ministers from government and party, the sacking of police officials responsible for the killing, and their trial.

Students have announced a fresh programme titled ‘March for Justice’ for Wednesday, which included marches towards courts, rallies on campuses, and on roads across the country demanding United Nations investigations into the mass killings, wholesale arrests, attacks, cases, and disappearances.

Students’ protests that had been continuing since early July seeking reform in quotas for government jobs turned violent following an attack on protesters by the ruling party student body, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, on July 15.

The resulting backlash prompted the government to launch a brutal crackdown on protesters, leaving at least 213 killed in clashes and their aftermath between July 16 and July 29.

On July 19, the government called in the army and announced a curfew to restore order.

The curfew has since been relaxed from time to time.