Bangladesh which once saw massive outrage and protests leading to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has now witnessed another turmoil. On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, hundreds of protestors tried to storm the Presidential palace, called Banga Bhaban, demanding the resignation of President Mohammad Shahabuddin.
Notably, the students sieged the Presidential palace late at night. The army blocked them with the help of barricades. The students standing outside the Banga Bhaban started raising the slogans of President Shahabuddin’s resignation.
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement, a student activist group in Bangladesh presented 5 demands, one including the resignation of President Shahabuddin. The students carried out a rally at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
“The President is an ally of fascism. He was in favor of genocide. We demand his resignation,” Nasiruddin Patwari, a protestor added.
“The President is a crony of Hasina’s authoritarian government. He must resign immediately,” said another protestor.
What are the 5 Demands of Protestors in Bangladesh?
Other than President Shahabuddin’s resignation, the discrimination student Movement has demanded the abolition of the constitution written in 1972. They demanded for writing a new constitution in the context of 2024.
The protestors have asked for banning the Awami League’s student organization in Bangladesh Chatra League.
They also said that the elections held in 2018 and 2024 under the former PM Sheikh Hasina should be declared illegal and MPs who scored victory in the elections should be disqualified.
They asked to announce the Proclamation of the Republic in keeping with the spirit of the July-August uprising.
What is the Anti-discrimination Student Movement?
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement was formed in 2024 during the nationwide student-led quota reform movement. The movement includes protests demanding justice for the government job quota system to prioritize merit over quotas.
Earlier in August, the group led to the ouster of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster in August 2024
Former PM Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5, 2024, following weeks of intense protests led by students demanding reforms to the government job quota system. The protests led to a dramatic escalation in the country that resulted in severe violence and causalities. Hasina resigned from her position as Prime Minister and immediately fled to India, leading to the establishment of an interim government by the military.
Protests Erupted in Bangladesh
In July 2024, protests in Bangladesh erupted against the quota system for government jobs. Gradually, it turned out to be the anti-government protests. On August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina resigned from her position as Bangladesh Prime Minister, leading to the formation of the interim government. Following her resignation, she sought refuge and fled to India. On August 8, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of the new interim government.
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