In Bangladesh, protesters have outright rejected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s proposal for talks and announced a one-point demand for the resignation of the government.
The coordinators of the quota reform movement announced it at a massive rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Saturday evening.
Nahid Islam, Sargis Alam and other key coordinators of the movement also said that they will enforce the non-cooperation movement starting from Sunday. The announcement came after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the agitating students to sit with her at Gono Bhaban to end the violence centring the quota reform protests.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Bangladesh Army, General Waker-Uz-Zaman on Saturday addressed the army officers on the current situation over the security issue and gave various directives about the activities of the army. He delivered his speech The army chief said that the Bangladesh Army is and will always be with the people for the sake of the country’s people and the state.
On Saturday night, Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan held a meeting with top officials of the law enforcement agencies. After the meeting, the home minister addressed the media and said that all demands of the students’ movement have been met. He urged the students to return to home without waging a non-cooperation movement. He also announced a relaxation in curfew hours in Dhaka and nearby districts from morning six o’clock to evening nine o’clock from Sunday onwards.
Earlier on Saturday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had ordered the release of all detained students in the Quota Reform Movement. The directives came a day after the announcement of a countrywide non-cooperation movement from Sunday.
Thousands of people joined the ongoing student protests in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Barisal and elsewhere on Saturday pressing for justice to the victims of last month’s violence. The Central Shaheed Minar of Dhaka became the focal point of the movement and people from all walks of life joined the protest.
By: Navalsang Parmar (Dhaka)