[🇧🇩] In Bangladesh, A Violent 'Student Revolution' is on بنگلہ دیش میں انقلاب

[Saif]

One bullet, two lives and endless agony

Life had just begun for 19-year-old Jisan Ahmed, a small-time vendor who supplied water to shops in his neighbourhood from his battery-run cycle-van.

www.thedailystar.net

One bullet, two lives and endless agony
Wife of fatally shot 19-year-old dies by suicide

Life had just begun for 19-year-old Jisan Ahmed, a small-time vendor who supplied water to shops in his neighbourhood from his battery-run cycle-van.

Just over a year ago, he married the love of his life Mishti Akter. The newlyweds had known each other for three years before they tied the knot.

However, this blooming love story ended tragically, as both of their lives were brutally cut short.

During a clash between protesters and law enforcers in Shonir Akhra's Rayerbagh area on July 20, Jisan was hit by a bullet, which pierced through his eyebrow and exited through his skull. He died on the spot.
This, however, was not the end to the tragedy.

Unable to bear the pain of losing her husband, Mishti had stopped eating from the very day he was shot dead.

Nine days later, she died by suicide.

"She couldn't bear the thought of living without him," said Jisan's father Babul Sarder, a Bangladeshi working in South Sudan for the past nine years, after travelling from Rangpur to Dhaka following Mishti's burial in her family cemetery yesterday morning.

"She went into shock after my son was killed and was starving herself. She clutched onto his clothes and cried continuously."

Babul had always hoped his son would join him abroad for a better future.

But Jisan was adamant not to leave Mishti behind. Though this frustrated Babul, he ultimately accepted his son's decision.

Jisan was a hardworking young man and made around Tk 700 a day by supplying drinking water.

On the day of the clash, his mother pleaded him to stay home. Jisan, however, insisted on going to work, hoping to earn his daily income.

When he got caught up in the clash, he took shelter in a nearby shop. It was just when he peeked outside to check if the violence had stopped that he was fatally shot.

Babul was in South Sudan at the time and rushed back to the country when he heard of his son's passing.

"My son often wanted to buy a bike but I didn't allow it fearing what if something happened to him ... there would be no one to carry my coffin after I died, as he is my only son. I never imagined that I would be the one carrying my son's coffin instead.

"In Sudan, even the poorest people have AK-47s, but they don't kill innocent people like birds. But my son was killed like one," Babul cried.

"Nobody from the government or police even came to offer their condolences or apologise for such a tragedy in our lives but I saw our prime minister shedding tears over the metro rail, which was built with remittance from people like us.

"The metro rail stations can be repaired but can she give back my son and daughter-in-law?"

"I have left justice up to the Almighty," he added, his voice choked with the grief he must bear for the rest of his life.​

 

[Saif]

Quota protesters announce fresh programmes for tomorrow

Quota reform protests organisers have announced “March for justice” programme for tomorrow at educational institutions, court premises and major roads, aiming to fulfil of their nine-point demand

www.thedailystar.net

Quota protesters announce fresh programmes for tomorrow

Star File photo

Quota reform protests organisers have announced "March for justice" programme for tomorrow at educational institutions, court premises and major roads, aiming to fulfil of their nine-point demand.

The coordinators made the call in a press release, signed by Abdul Hannan Masooud, a coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement. Copies of the release were sent to the media around 8:30pm.

They urged students and people to join their programme, which will be held around 12:30pm.

Their demands include an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and resignations of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhoury, Law Minister Anisul Huq, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, and State Minister for Post, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak.​

 

[Saif]

Killings during quota reform movement: Crossing the red line

The red line crossed by the government while suppressing the quota reform movement with authoritarian aggression is completely different

www.thedailystar.net

Killings during quota reform movement: Crossing the red line

Law enforcement forces of a civilised and democratic country can never use weapons on an indiscriminate, wholesale basis against their own people. FILE PHOTO: AMRAN HOSSAIN

A recent example of what can happen if there is no minimum democratic and governance accountability in a country is the unprecedented brutality shown by the government and the killing of more than 200 people (according to Prothom Alo) during the quota reform movement this month. The agitation, which began following a High Court verdict on June 5 reinstating the quota system in government jobs, was limited to peaceful rallies. But the government did not give due importance to the students' demands and did not even try to negotiate with them, saying that it was a court matter.

The movement turned violent on July 15 when the ruling party's student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), attacked protesting students at several public universities, including Dhaka University. Even after the tragic killing of six youths on July 16 in attacks by police and BCL, the government did not budge. If it had removed the police and BCL men from the streets and had taken the initiative to negotiate with the protesters on their quota reform demand, the subsequent brutal killings could have been avoided.

Analysing 150 of the deaths, Prothom Alo found that students and workers were the majority of the victims of the fatal violence and clashes centring around the quota reform movement. As many as 113 victims (75 percent) were children, teenagers and young adults. Nineteen were children and adolescents including a four-year-old child. Ninety-four were 18-29 years old, 21 were 30-39 years old, and 16 were about 40 years old. At least 45 victims were students of different public and private universities, schools and colleges. Besides, a large number of the dead were labourers, petty traders, shopkeepers, drivers, and low-income earners. The analysis also revealed a horrifying reality: most of the dead bodies bore live bullet injuries, while marks of pellets, rubber bullets or other types of injuries were little.

Usually during a mass movement when thousands of people take to the streets, there is a belief among them that law enforcement agencies will not fire directly on them no matter what. If there is a large number of people in a protest march, there is no fear. One reason for this is the collective power of a large crowd. Another reason is the idea that no state force would open fire on large numbers of people. It is a red line that LEAs around the world would never cross—except those in countries that are ruled by military dictatorship or occupation armies. The LEAs and militaries of any modern state have a wide variety of weapons at their disposal—machine guns, tanks, fighter jets, helicopter gunships, etc—which can kill a large number of people in an instant. But law enforcement forces of any decent civilised and democratic country would never use these weapons on an indiscriminate, wholesale basis against their own people. They simply can't, because crossing this red line means breaking the people's contract with the state. The people give the exclusive power to use force to the state on the condition that this force would be used to protect the people, not to kill them.

That's why in the situation of mass unrest, LEAs use non-lethal weapons and tear gas, charge batons, use water cannons, etc and try their best to disperse people without causing fatal harm. In some extreme cases, if law enforcers are forced to shoot, they usually shoot at legs, and they don't fire indiscriminately in such a way that it might kill not only the demonstrators, but also the pedestrians, shopkeepers, rickshaw pullers, hawkers and even children standing on rooftops or balconies. No law enforcers of any democratic country would directly shoot at the chest, head or eyes of the common people, because they will be held accountable for every shot. Once this red line is crossed, a country's government loses its legitimacy and people's trust.

In Bangladesh, the ruling Awami League-led government has employed the country's law enforcement agencies against the people before. They have been accused of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and violent suppression of the political opposition's activities. These are also red lines that no democratic government should cross. But this time, the line crossed by the government while suppressing the quota reform movement with authoritarian aggression is completely different. It is one thing to unleash sudden violence on the rallies of opposition parties or commit targeted enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killings, but it is completely another to permit indiscriminate shooting on thousands of agitating protesters, including school, college and university students, who have taken to the streets across the country for several days.

Even after so many killings, there is no credible action on the government's part to admit the wrongdoings or bring the killers to justice. Not only that, cases have been filed against hundreds of thousands of people without proper investigation, and activists and opposition party members are being arrested at a wholesale rate in block raids. This is indicative of more oppressive government action in the coming days.

If the government cannot be pressured strongly and effectively from all quarters for impartial investigations, trials and accountability of these killings, and if the perpetrators get away with killing so many innocent people, including children, the danger will increase even more for the people of the country.

Kallol Mustafa is an engineer and writer who focuses on power, energy, environment and development economics.​

 

[Saif]

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...

www.newagebd.net

Student protests spread to diverse communities
Staff Correspondent 30 July, 2024, 23:29

Cultural and social organisations stage a demonstration at Zero Point near the Awami League central office in the capital on Tuesday protesting at the murder of students and people during the recent student protests against discriminations. | Sony Ramany

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.

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, including Khulna and Kishoreganj, 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.

Abdul Hannan Masud, a coordinator of the platform, announced the new programme through a press release on Tuesday.

The protest will also press their nine-point charter of demands, according to the press release.

Parents held a rally on the Dhaka Medical College Hospital premises on Tuesday morning, demanding justice for the killings of their children.

During the rally, a mother was seen holding a placard that read, 'Why Did You Kill My Children.' The police did not allow the group to stay long on the DMCH premises.

In the Gulistan area of the capital, cultural activists held a rally under the banner of 31 cultural organisations and demanded the resignation of the government for killing students and mass people during the quota reform movement.

They also demanded the withdrawal of the ongoing curfew, the end of mass arrests and cases, and the harassment of people in the country.

Police barricaded the cultural activists as they attempted to march towards Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka from Noor Hossain Square at about 3:30pm.

Some cultural activists opted to break open the police barricade, leading to a skirmish.

The cultural activists later performed on the streets, singing songs and reciting poems.

Teachers of different universities, including Jahangirnagar and Rajshahi University, staged demonstrations protesting at police killings, arrests, and repression for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

A total of 38 JU teachers, under the banner of Teachers' Community Against Oppression, brought out the procession from the university's central Shaheed Minar at about 12:45pm with their faces tied with red ribbons.

Addressing the rally, JU anthropology professor Saed Ferdous said that the quota reform protest was nothing but a voice raised against the government's failure to ensure human rights, democracy, and a hunger-free state.

JU philosophy professor Raihan Ryhne compared the midnight block raids with the Pakistani occupation forces' raids, arrests, and torture during the War of Independence in 1971.

Pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawyers brought out a protest procession on the High Court premises, covering their faces and foreheads with red ribbons to express solidarity with the protesting students.

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.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, after a high-level meeting at the secretariat on Tuesday, told reporters that the curfew would remain relaxed from 7:00am to 8:00pm in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Narsingdi from Wednesday to Saturday.

The minister said that the decisions of the other districts would be taken by the respective deputy commissioners.​

 

[Saif]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/protesters-announce-march-for-justice-programme-for-wednesday

Protesters announce 'March for Justice' programme for Wednesday
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
Jul 30, 2024 22:01
Updated :
Jul 30, 2024 22:01

File Photo

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has announced a 'March for Justice' programme for Wednesday at all educational institutions, courts, and streets across the country to push for their nine-point demand.

Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud announced the programme in a press release on Tuesday night.​

 

[Saif]

Stop using force: Government's words and deeds must match

If the government is to normalise the situation, they have to move away from the policy of using force right now. They have to move away from the policy of saying something and taking a different path of action in actuality. This is the only way to create an environment of trust.

en.prothomalo.com

Stop using force: Government's words and deeds must match
Editorial Desk
Published: 30 Jul 2024, 20: 03

It was assumed that after the verdict of the Supreme Court there would be a peaceful and logical end to the quota reform movement of the students. And, normalcy would be restored all over the country including the educational institutions. The eight-point demand presented by the students also mentioned immediate opening of the universities and the safety of the general students.

Notably, there have been over 200 deaths and several thousand injuries from clashes and bullets fired by the law and order enforcement agencies during the quota reform movement. Besides, extensive amount of state properties were also destroyed.

We had expected that the government would take initiative to resolve the crisis quickly through a discussion with the protesting students for rapid improvement of the situation. The ministers had given such indications also. But with grave concern we noticed that various tactics were adopted to create division among the protesters.

The question is, if the law and order enforcement forces can take anyone away like this or not? The Detective Branch as an excuse cited that the father of one of the coordinators had expressed concern over their (the coordinators) safety.

Meanwhile, there are allegations that quite a few people including one of the main coordinators of the movement, Nahid Islam had been picked up from their homes and then tortured.

The incident that followed is even more concerning. Three of the coordinators who were undergoing treatment at the hospital, were taken away to the headquarters of the Detective Branch (DB) without allowing their treatment to be complete.

Additional commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB), Harun-or-Rashid claimed that they have been taken there for the sake of their own safety. Although there's no such evidence that any of the coordinators have sought protection. There's enough reason to consider the matter of their being taken to the DB office involuntarily.

The question is, if the law and order enforcement forces, can take anyone away like this or not? The Detective Branch as an excuse cited that the father of one of the coordinators had expressed concern over their (the coordinators) safety.

It's clear that their concerns are actually regarding the law and order enforcement forces themselves. For, it's them who are accused of picking and beating up a coordinator after all.

There has been an announcement of the sort that the protesting students have withdrawn their programmes. But, why did that come at a time when they are under 'protective custody' at the DB headquarters?

If they wanted to call off the programmes at their own will, they would have done it outdoors from the university campus or from some other location. Clearly, there's no honest motive behind taking the six coordinators away to DB headquarters and spreading footages of them having meal on the social media.

Seeking a directive on the release of six 'detained' coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement and not shooting protesters at different locations of the country, two of the Supreme Court lawyers, Manjur Al Matin Pritom and Aynunnahar Siddiqa filed a writ petition on Monday.

On this issue, a bench formed with Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon calling attention of the state said, "Who told you to do so? Why did you do it? Do not ridicule the nation. Whoever you detain, you make them dine on the table."

The government on one hand is calling out the students to withdraw their programmes while continuing all the efforts of creating a sense of fear among them on the other. Keeping a few of the coordinators detained at the DB headquarters is supposed to instill fear among other coordinators as well. This is not the way to normalise the situation or gaining the trust of the students.

If the government is to normalise the situation, they have to move away from the policy of using force right now. They have to move away from the policy of saying something and taking a different path of action in actuality. This is the only way to create an environment of trust.​

 

[Saif]

Teachers' body condemns ‘police attack’ on two DU teachers

The University Teachers' Network yesterday condemned the alleged police misbehavior and attack on two Dhaka University teachers when they tried to protect protesting students from detention

www.thedailystar.net

Teachers' body condemns 'police attack' on two DU teachers

The University Teachers' Network yesterday condemned the alleged police misbehavior and attack on two Dhaka University teachers when they tried to protect protesting students from detention.

The teachers' network in a statement also demanded a proper investigation into the incident by the authorities concerned.

It said police attacked and misbehaved with DU's public administration department's Prof Nusrat Jahan Chowdury and Shehreen Amin Bhuiyan, a lecturer of the same department, yesterday.

It said an attack on the teachers and students who were demonstrating for justice for the victims of violence during the quota reform protests on campus "is horrible and a severe blow to the university's autonomy".

The statement said the network will hold a protest rally at DU campus today protesting the killings and incidents of repressions on teachers and students.

Besides, the teachers' network expressed solidarity with students and people who are set to hold a mourning procession from in front of the National Press Club on Friday demanding the resignation of the government over the killings, proper trial on the atrocities, release of those detained, the withdrawal of curfew and reopening of educational institutions.​

 

[Saif]

Govt has become 'public enemy': Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the existential crisis of the government is gradually deepening as it has now become a "public enemy" by carrying out "genocide" to suppress the student protests

www.thedailystar.net

Govt has become 'public enemy': Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the existential crisis of the government is gradually deepening as it has now become a "public enemy" by carrying out "genocide" to suppress the student protests.

In a statement, he called upon people from all walks of life to take part in the ongoing student-led protests to end all injustices by removing the "fascist" Awami League government.

"The government, now isolated from the people, has become a public enemy by committing ruthless and barbaric attacks and genocide," the BNP leader said.

He also said the indiscriminate killings to subdue the movement are a crime against humanity and punishable by the International Criminal Court.

He appreciated the civil society members and people from different professions for raising their voices against the government's injustice, misdeeds, and mass murder.

Fakhrul also called for the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested, withdrawal of the curfew, return of the army to their barracks, lifting of restrictions on gatherings, and reopening of educational institutions.​

 

[Saif]

Only justice for the killings can restore public trust

Govt must allow independent probe into the deaths of protesters

www.thedailystar.net

Only justice for the killings can restore public trust
Govt must allow impartial probe into the bloody crackdown by security forces

VISUAL: STAR

Try as it may, the government can no longer circumvent critical questions about the role of security forces and ruling party cadres in the deaths of protesters. Five trends that have emerged from the law enforcement measures taken in response to the violent events of July 18-21 are blaming the violence squarely on BNP-Jamaat (without evidence); mass arrests, often through block raids; gross violation of Supreme Court guidelines for arrests and remand; making destruction of public properties—rather than the deaths—a central focus of investigation; and suppression of student organisers and protesters through various tactics. All this has reaffirmed doubts about the government's sincerity to ensure justice for the horrific tragedy that befell our nation.

Against this backdrop, the prime minister's statement on Wednesday about seeking cooperation from the United Nations and other international organisations to conduct a "fair and proper investigation" into the nationwide violence offers a ray of hope. This comes after repeated calls for credible international investigations into the deaths over the last few days. Even the UN and the European Union also demanded a thorough and impartial probe. The PM, we may recall, earlier said the government would seek "foreign technical assistance" for the judicial inquiry committee. It has already indicated that the commission—initially tasked with investigating only the six deaths of July 16—can now probe all the killings that have since occurred.

Where does it all leave us, probe-wise? The picture that emerges from the above scenario is a bit confusing. We have no details yet about the extent of any possible UN involvement or how it will sit with the ongoing investigations by police and the judiciary. Will it be limited to the technical aspect of the investigation only? What about other stages of the investigation and justice processes? With the entire law enforcement machine keyed to political manoeuvres, how much help the judicial commission or any team headed by the UN will have from relevant state departments in, say, collecting or verifying evidence remains to be seen.

But as things stand, there is a huge gap between what's being said or sought publicly and what's being done on the ground. Leave aside the widespread panic caused by arresting nearly 11,000 individuals, including many students, over the last 13 days. Even while the PM made her UN probe call, there were reports from different parts of the country about security forces violently disrupting the protesters' "March for Justice" by charging batons and using other heavy-handed tactics. Many protesters were held, many injured. Clearly, protesters continue to be targeted as they were before. Now consider the fact that no legal steps have been taken against any member of the security forces involved in the killings. The disparity couldn't be more obvious, indicating that the government is still in denial, and without a complete turnaround in current practices, justice may continue to elude us.

To this day, the number of people who died varies widely—at least 163 as per by this daily, 150 as per the government, 211 as per Prothom Alo, 266 as per the student platform. The actual number could be much higher. So many deaths cannot go unaddressed or unpunished. The government must realise that nothing short of a fair investigation into its own forces—who shot indiscriminately at the protesters, aided by party cadres—will restore public order or give credibility to its efforts. Any investigation also must delve into how the conflicts became so violent in the first place, and lead to accountability for those truly responsible. The government should also stop harassing the protesters and ordinary citizens immediately.​

 

[Saif]

Violence against students: ENOUGH!

When Bangladesh bleeds, no one scores any political point, however lofty their political ideologies are.

www.thedailystar.net

Violence against students: ENOUGH!

When Bangladesh bleeds, no one scores any political point, however lofty their political ideologies are. The photo was taken in Dhaka on July 19, 2024. FILE PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

Police patrol. Paramilitary fly and fire. Army amble amid curfew. Smokes lick the sky. Shrieks and screams can be heard from many places. A slow-motion mayhem is all set. The horror unleashes. They cry. They sigh. They die. Clashes and confrontations renew. Bullets still pierce. Blood still drips. Bodies still drop. The atmosphere is spooky.

This is not a scene from a horror movie. This is what unfurled in Bangladesh during the third week of July. We are jinxed since. A part of the whole state apparatus appears to be up against its student populations. They are brutally killed and fatally wounded. No one knows exactly how many students have already perished. Victims, including civilians, are legion. As of July 30, The Daily Star confirmed 163 deaths. No student movement has been attempted to be quelled by any government since our independence in 1971 that costs so many lives. This is perplexing, paralysing!

Shockingly, a disconnected voice reminds us that the government has deployed only five percent of its power to deal with the defectors, who are the agents of anarchy. They (read: the government) don't own up to the terrible mess that the country is now. They look for scapegoats. They swagger around like saints and angels, whose failure is someone else's fault. Whatever they did, and do, bolsters democracy and fosters development. Rigged elections don't bother them. A muzzled press doesn't embarrass them. Epic corruption charges against government officials seem to them infractions of a slapstick proportion. They ignore. Consequently, the potential for crime, corruption, and discrimination metastasises. People feel divided and vulnerable. They yet stand no criticism. When they encounter a conflict with their beliefs, values, and vision, they become confrontational and condescending. They trot out labels for othering. One of the common labels they almost religiously drizzle is Razakar—the traitor. This time around, the label fell on the wrong ears, and exploded agitations nationwide.

And that's how we've reached where we stand now. Students from universities across the country were protesting against the quota system in civil service. On July 21, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ordered that 93 percent of jobs in civil service will be merit-based. Case closed!

If it were! The country simmers in anger and uncertainty, for, in the meantime, what the government did went against every rule. Patience and negotiations were not their currencies of reconciliation. They threatened repression. They lauded the muscle power of their student wing. Nothing seemed enough to deflect the students from their demands. The government pulled the levers of power immediately. Police swung into action. They appeared exhausted. Paramilitary chipped in. The chaos confounded. The army took over the streets. Curfew continues. Helicopters whir. Guns roar. Sound grenades blast. Whoever lives here, as it seems, lives by luck. Many are not lucky enough against guns and goons. Death sneaks around for anyone, everyone. Why did the government pit itself against its student populations when some of them are not voters yet and most of them are disinterested in politics? They are off to the wrong genies. Students mustn't have been the excuse for the government to lock everyone down in their houses.

The government proceeded from the assumption that they would weather the crisis and would come out strong, as they did in the past with protests and movements. Their tactics and rhetoric seemed tested. They appeared invincible. Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, punctured their aura of invincibility. Abu Sayed was killed live on July 16. He stood open-air with a stick in his hand, pretending to dodge a fusillade of rubber bullets. The bullets hit hard. He collapsed to the ground. He bled profusely and lost consciousness before he perished on his way to the hospital. The nation witnessed how state-sponsored violence crushed innocence and courage to maintain its grip on power. People panicked. Anger intensified. The protests were no longer confined to public universities. Students from private universities, colleges, and schools joined. The whole country seemed implicated. The country that emerged subsequently was not the country we thought we knew.

Why did the students have to protest to compete for government jobs on the basis of merit? Jobs are one of the primal needs that a functional country ensures to its citizens. While the country is awash in rhetoric of development, the unemployment rate is still staggeringly high in Bangladesh. Jobs here mean government jobs, given the perks and privileges attached to them. Approximately 400,000 candidates apply for 3,000 positions in the civil service in Bangladesh each year. Such a system also contributes to causing discrimination in social, economic, and political structures by disrupting equilibrium. Students realised that, as did everyone. When, however, the government realised it, it was already too late. The country already paid " such a heavy price," when it finally acquiesced to the students' demand, as Sushmita S Preetha, in her pitch "Did we have to pay such a heavy price for this verdict?" in The Daily Star, claims. It's a sobering time for the country now.

I have never felt so helpless and useless thus far in my life. I wonder what it means to be a teacher in the face of such a crisis. The more I commit to my country, the more I feel connected to my students. I'm deeply invested in helping them forge their future so that the country marches forward. Now that they are on the streets and their lives are endangered, grief and guilt consume me. During the protests, we saw authority without leadership from the merchants of dreams. Whose dream was that nightmare? They used such a big knife to cut such a small political cake. I wish they were more patriotic and political. Their hubris was puzzling!

That upsets me. The country hangs on a cliff to go further south. Every infrastructure totalled, every life perished, and every drop of blood spilt are provocations for further division and destruction. A sledgehammer approach to turning the country on the right track is apparently a recipe for disaster. When Bangladesh bleeds, no one scores any political point, however lofty their political ideologies are. The student movement demonstrates that we lose as a nation when we fight for political space and prestige amid traumas and tragedies. I apprehend times of dread ahead. Toni Morrison claims, referring to her friend, in her essay, "No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear," that this is precisely the time for artists to go to work. Teaching is the art of cultivating wisdom and ethics. Being a teacher, I'm an artist. With prayers and tears, as I resolve to resume my work, I implore everyone to stop bleeding Bangladesh.

It's already ENOUGH!

Dr Mohammad Shamsuzzaman is associate professor at the Department of English and Modern Languages in North South University (NSU).​

 

[Saif]

Rights violations soar amid protests

A recent media monitoring report revealed that the ongoing anti-discrimination student protests in Bangladesh have resulted in at least 211 deaths and nearly 7,730 injuries.

www.thedailystar.net

Rights violations soar amid protests
Says MSF report

A recent media monitoring report revealed that the ongoing anti-discrimination student protests in Bangladesh have resulted in at least 211 deaths and nearly 7,730 injuries.

The report also revealed that there have been 798 incidents of violence and sabotage nationwide, resulting in 10,372 arrests.

Prepared by the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) and verified by local rights defenders, the report analysed data from major print and online dailies based in Bangladesh.

As per the report, in Dhaka division alone, 270 cases have led to 2,891 arrests. Notably, over 2,13,000 individuals, many of whom are unidentified, have been accused in 200 cases.

Additionally, 259 students have been arrested across Dhaka and 18 other districts for their alleged involvement in sabotage during the unrest.

The report also detailed political violence over the past two months, with at least eight people killed and 214 injured in 30 incidents in June and July. Post-election violence has claimed another eight lives and injured 490 people in 50 separate incidents.

Between June and July, there were 559 reported incidents of violence against women and girls -- including 82 cases of rape, 24 cases of gang rape, four murders following rape, 42 cases of attempted rape, 143 murders, and 63 cases of physical abuse.

The MSF report further revealed that, in June and July, 44 journalists faced torture, attacks, injuries, lawsuits, and harassment.

Additionally, since mid-July, the recent unrest has led to four journalist being killed, 35 injuries from shotgun pellets, and 224 other injuries from gunfire or attacks.

The report also documented that six people were killed extrajudicially, two died in custody, two were killed while fleeing law enforcement, and nine died in jail.

The report again indicated that nine people were killed and nine others injured in border incidents, with two also being tortured. Additionally, mob violence also claimed seven lives and left nine injured.

The monitoring report, signed by MSF Founding President Sultana Kamal, mentioned that the organisation condemns the rising rights violations and urges authorities to ensure political engagement, peaceful elections, voting rights, freedom of assembly, expression, and civic security.​

 

[Saif]

Protesters announce 'Remembering Our Heroes' programme for Thursday

The 'Anti-Discrimination Student Movement' has announced the "Remembering Our Heroes'' programme across the country for Thursday in commemoration of those killed and injured during the movement. Coordinator of the Movement Rifat Rashid announced this programme in a statement on Wednesday night. H

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Protesters announce 'Remembering Our Heroes' programme for Thursday
DU CORRESPONDENT
Published :
Jul 31, 2024 20:55
Updated :
Jul 31, 2024 21:39

File Photo

The 'Anti-Discrimination Student Movement' has announced the "Remembering Our Heroes'' programme across the country for Thursday in commemoration of those killed and injured during the movement.

Coordinator of the Movement Rifat Rashid announced this programme in a statement on Wednesday night.

He called on all, especially, students, teachers, parents, intellectuals, professionals, workers, and businessmen, to participate in the programme and make it a success.

The statement, sent by Coordinator Rashid, provided some guidelines for commemorating the victims:

Those are:
​

• Recounting horrific days and nights of torture on students​
• Remembering those killed and injured, along with their families​
• Creating paintings, graffiti, wall writings, festoons and digital portraits depicting the incidents of torture​

The statement also called on all to campaign both offline and online in memory of the deceased, suggesting the use of hashtags
#JulyMassacre #RememberingOurHeroes for the online campaign.​

 

[Saif]

Effort to observe state mourn is a farce

The count of death tolls has not been finished. Yet, thousands of protesters are being rounded up; injured students are leaving hospitals fearing detention, she said.

en.prothomalo.com

Effort to observe state mourn is a farce
Samina Luthfa

A movement started at public universities demanding reform to the quota system in government jobs, which later spread out to private universities, colleges and other educational institutions. Samina Luthfa, associate professor of sociology at Dhaka University, spoke to Prothom Alo's Monzurul Islam about students' participation in the movement, situation at the universities during the movement and what to do now.

Prothom Alo: The movement for a reform in the quota in government jobs was mainly revolving around the universities. Their movement was going on peacefully. Violence erupted with attacking the students at Dhaka University, followed by clashes, deployment of the police and Border Guard Bangladesh on the campus, as well as vacating the halls. How do you see these incidents? How would you evaluate the role of university administration?

Samina Luthfa: The quota reform protesters of 2024 were organised and peaceful from the beginning, but the Chhatra League (BCL) attacked the protesting students on campuses with bamboos, iron rods and so on, leaving scores of students injured.

Later, students were driven out of the halls by the evening with police, Rapid Action Battalion and BGB firing teargases and sound grenades. Hence, the outgoing students fell prey to the waiting goons and faced coercion on the roads.

The university administrators (vice chancellors, proctors and provosts) failed to protect the students completely instead of providing students with safety and creating opportunities for the students to leave the campuses safely.

If administrators of the universities have any shame they should have resigned.


Prothom Alo: To date, more than 200 people were reportedly killed in this protest and movement and several thousand people were injured. Deployment of the police, BGB and RAB did not work. Finally, the army was called and a curfew was imposed. How would you explain the entire situation?

Samina Luthfa: Usually, nondemocratic governments want to suppress any moment completely using state machinery because they fear any protest might oust them.

We have seen nothing over the past seven days other than the government's effort to gain mileage over political opponents. The count of death tolls has not been finished. Yet, thousands of protesters are being rounded up in harassing cases; injured students are leaving hospitals fearing detention and coordinators of the movement are being picked up and tortured.

We are stunned, surprised and aggrieved seeing the video clips of the incidents including firing shots from helicopters, firing on protesting civilians, shooting injured people at point blank, shooting pedestrians on heads from behind and shooting the youth hanging on the under-construction building to ensure his death.

This is no war situation; civilians were protesting. There is no example of applying such forces to quell a civilian movement in history.

The United Nations already expressed deep concern over the incidents; Bangladesh expatriates from various countries and global citizens condemned this killing spree.


Prothom Alo: Not only job seekers but people from other professions of society are involved in this movement. How do you see this movement as a sociologist? Is this giving signals for any change in our state, politics and society?

Samina Luthfa: In terms of sociology, the 2024 quota reform can be called a backlash protest that later turned into a mass upsurge. The government that has been in power for over 15 years by holding three consecutive questionable elections applied additional and illegal power using the BCL, police, BGB and RAB.

This movement cannot be pacified by deploying the army and imposing a curfew. Internet blackouts, block raids, mass arrests and harassment followed. Yet, people continue to protest.

Today, the movement turned into a mass upsurge and that shook the people around the world.

Prothom Alo: Allegations of violence, sabotage and destroying state properties have been brought up; cases were also filed. Several thousand people were rounded up over the past couple of days. Many of them including university students were put on remand. What do you think about the outcomes of these?

Samina Luthfa: The impact of the permanent damage to Bangladesh's economic, diplomatic and political images that occurred due to short-sightedness and imprudence will be deep and long-lasting.

The effort to observe the state mourning by the government standing on the dead bodies of hundreds of people is a complete farce, which the students rejected.

Citizens are feeling the power of the unity that is building between students and people against each falsification, farce and PR campaign of the government forces, but is the government feeling it?

If they do, the government must follow the path of peace by stopping oppression and suppression and must follow the path of seeking forgiveness by stopping falsification.

The government must follow the path of proper investigation, justice and humanity. Otherwise, they will not get back the trust of this new generation.

This is no longer limited to the quota reform movement. Now demand has arisen for the trial of the 'July killings'.​

 

[Bilal9]

Netra Report

Bangladesh student leaders call for UN action

From a secret hideout, three of Bangladesh's student protest leaders have called on the international community to hold members of the country's security forces accountable for what has been described as a massacre of students.

Netra News
July 27th 2024

The United Nations and the international community should act to put an end to Bangladesh's "ongoing massacre," a leader of Bangladesh's student protesters told journalists in a virtual press conference on 27th July.

"We urge the international community, influential countries, human rights groups, student bodies, and non-governmental organisations to take urgent steps to stop the brutal crackdown in Bangladesh," said Abdul Hannan Masud, a coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, joined by Mahin Sarker and Rifat Rashid.

Drawing parallels with the Pakistani military's crackdown in what is now Bangladesh in 1971, they said members of the security forces and intelligence agencies are now hunting for student protesters in overnight raids, arresting students on mere suspicion, and detaining them in secret prisons.

"Members of these forces should be held accountable by the international community," Hannan added.

Citing the use of vehicles and helicopters featuring the UN insignia during the civil unrest, the three leaders appealed to the international body to ensure accountability for the deaths.

Their group, Students Against Discrimination, has compiled a list of 266 people — among many more unidentified — who they said were killed during the protests. Bangladesh's top newspaper, Prothom Alo, confirmed the death toll has surpassed 200.

The leaders said more than 70% of those deaths were ordinary students, according to their records.

They also threatened to resume their agitation from July 29th unless their demands — which include the release of imprisoned students, including top student leaders, the withdrawal of false charges, and visible punishments against government officials involved in the massacre, ranging from cabinet ministers to police constables — are met.

They also promised to set up a "health force" to document the killings and other casualties resulting from the government crackdown across towns and villages, and a separate "legal force" to provide legal assistance to those implicated in a barrage of government cases.

Local reports suggest that as many as 61,000 people, including many unnamed individuals, were implicated in criminal charges, while thousands have been arrested.

On July 28th, their planned programmes include writing and painting graffiti on public walls across the country in support of the students' demands.

In recent days, several student leaders have been forced into hiding after other top leaders, including Nahid Islam, were picked up by police detectives from a hospital on the outskirts of Dhaka. The home minister, Asaduzzaman Kamal, claimed police took them into custody to "save them" from unspecified threats.

Before they were formally detained, Nahid and at least one other student leader reappeared after what they described as an enforced disappearance by state agencies. They showed signs of physical torture they had suffered during their detention to the press.

Bangladeshi students on university campuses began a protest in mid-July against a quota system in public jobs that favours descendants of the country's registered freedom fighters, a small fraction of the population and a strong supporting block of the ruling Awami League.

Their protest soon transformed into civil unrest as security forces and Awami League members carried out deadly pogroms and a widespread crackdown, leading to hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.

 

[Bilal9]

Netra Opinion

I'm a spokesperson for Bangladesh's student protesters. Here's our message to the world.

From a secret hideout, one of the coordinators of the student protest movement spoke to Netra News to send out an appeal to the world.

Abdul Hannan Masud
July 28th 2024

A scene from Bangladesh protests on 21st July 2024. Photo: Netra News​

On June 5th 2024, Bangladesh's student community took to the streets to protest the reinstatement of the discriminatory quota-based recruitment system for government jobs in Bangladesh. However, the government went on to politicise the movement, labelling the protesters as anti-state traitors before considering their demands.

Protesters soon began receiving threats from cabinet ministers and ruling party leaders. As a consequence of their incitement, on July 15th, the Chhatra League and Jubo League carried out a brutal attack on students at Dhaka University. Female students, pedestrians, and even injured students in hospital were not spared from the attack.

Following this, a joint operation by the police, BGB, RAB, and the army—accompanied by a nationwide digital crackdown blocking the internet—led to a massacre in Bangladesh.

Heavy weaponry such as AK-47s and SKS snipers were used against innocent and unarmed civilians, a blatant violation of human rights and crimes against humanity.

Pedestrians, women, and children in their homes lost their lives alongside the protesters due to indiscriminate firing from RAB helicopters on direct orders from the government. An atmosphere of fear was imposed on the people through enforced disappearances, murders, and mass arrests. Thousands of innocent people have been arrested under false charges and political labelling. We strongly condemn this.

Joint raids by the police, RAB, BGB, and the army are still ongoing in residential areas, with common students and innocent people being arrested and harassed. Meanwhile, the police engaged in bribery schemes — detaining innocent people and then releasing them in exchange for large sums of money. The people of Bangladesh are living in uncertainty, with no security of life and no hope of justice.

From our history, we fear that this time, too, the brutal massacre of students will not be properly investigated. I presume that the judge in charge of the investigation will work to protect the government's agenda and interests.

Under these circumstances, we are appealing to the United Nations for a fair investigation.

We want an impartial investigation into this murder. Reviewing past history, we see that whenever any state-backed body investigates, the government abuses its power to influence the investigation. Hence, we expect a proper investigation of this murder under the supervision of the United Nations.

Our question to the UN is, why and under which provision were military vehicles and equipment intended for peacekeeping missions used on students and civilians? Isn't this an abuse of the UN? Isn't it against the principles of the United Nations?

When the people of this country were being killed with weapons bearing the United Nations logo, the internet was completely shut down. The ordinary people of the country had the impression that they were being targeted as if by a UN peacekeeping mission.

We expect a clear explanation from the United Nations in this regard as soon as possible.

Our expectations from the international community: We, the common students and the young generation of Bangladesh, are going through a difficult time. First, we have been brutally massacred, and countless students have been injured. Now, false charges are being pressed against us. Students are victims of enforced disappearances, torture, and mass arrests.

We, the common students, are living with intense insecurity. Right now, we are seeking international intervention to resolve this situation.

We expect human rights organisations to recognise that Bangladesh is experiencing severe human rights violations. Women, children, elderly people, and young people are not safe inside or outside. Human rights have been violated, and crimes against humanity have been committed with lethal weapons. Students are being forcefully disappeared, murdered, and tortured, with the direct support of government forces and pro-government terrorists.

The current government is creating an atmosphere of fear and imposing curfews, violating people's fundamental rights. In this context, we expect you, the human rights organisations, to monitor the situation in Bangladesh closely and protect the innocent people, including the common students.

We have expectations from our diaspora, too. Whenever we, the common students of Bangladesh, take to the streets with a rational demand, you support us. So, as always, we hope you will provide us with more support at this critical juncture.●

Abdul Hannan Masud is one of the dozens of coordinators of Students Against Discrimination, a platform for protesting students in Bangladesh. He has assumed a leadership role after other senior leaders were taken into custody by the police. The above text is an abridged version of a video statement given to Netra News. The statement was edited for clarity.