In Bangladesh, different sections of people including Student Movement Against Discrimination protested across the country on Monday against the appointment of some new advisers of the interim government questioning their role during the previous government.
The interim government headed by professor Muhammad Yunus on Saturday appointed businessman Sheikh Bashir Uddin, filmmaker Mostofa Sarowar Farooki and special assistant to the chief adviser Mahfuz Alam as advisers and reshuffled portfolios of some advisers in a major reshuffle in the government since its formation on August 8.
A group of students at Dhaka University staged a protest on Monday, demanding the immediate removal of those who they referred to as “allies of the fascist” appointed as new advisers. The protesters, gathered at a human chain, sharply criticized the new advisers’ appointments. Eight coordinators of the movement were present there.
The convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Hasnat Abdullah voiced the outrage of the students, recalling the sacrifices made during the recent uprising. “Students shed their blood during the fight for freedom, yet these appointments were made without consulting us,” he declared.
“This is a mockery of the students, citizens, and workers. If this continues, you will find yourselves in trouble. Then you will call for students to take to the streets. But this won’t last long—we will not tolerate the rehabilitation of those who have thrived under fascism in any form,” Hasnat said.
He also demanded transparency in the selection process, questioning the credentials of those appointed. “If these appointments were made as part of some compromise, you are deceiving the students and the public,” he warned.
Abdul Kader, coordinator of the student movement, issued a stark warning to the authorities: “If you think the revolutionaries have fallen asleep, you are mistaken. We are ready to return to the streets to dismantle the fascist structure once again”, reports United News of Bangladesh (UNB).
Movement coordinator Mahin Sarker said, “If there is no reflection of our views, we will show them the red card. Accomplices of fascists must be removed immediately.”
Rifat Rashid, another coordinator, said they would not hesitate to remove the advisory council, like the way they removed Hasina, if advisers are appointed ignoring the mandate given by the people and the students.
On Sunday, a group of people during the oath-taking ceremony marched with lit torches and demonstrated near the Bangabhaban against the inclusion of Sk Bashir Uddin as an adviser. Sarjis Alam, a coordinator of the student movement, also criticised the selection of new advisers on his Facebook page that night.
In Rangpur, students staged a demonstration in front of the Press Club on Monday threatening waging “North Bengal Blockade” programme if their demand of appointing an adviser to the interim government from the Rangpur division is not met.
The Jatiya Nagorik Committee in a press release said on Monday, “We feel that important state decisions, including the appointment of advisers, are not being made in a proper and participatory way and based on consultation with stakeholders of the mass uprising. Meanwhile, Hefazat-e-Islam in a statement yesterday raised questions over the appointment of Farooki and wanted to know the logic behind his inclusion in the government.
By, Navalsang Parmar, Dhaka