Dhaka, July 25, 2024 — The anti-discrimination student movement has issued a stringent 9-point demand in response to the ongoing violence and repression surrounding the quota reform movement. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, 52 coordinators of the movement highlighted their demands amid the current turmoil in the country.
The statement condemned the government’s brutal crackdown on students, noting that over three hundred students have been killed, with several coordinators and co-coordinators missing. The tragic account of Asif Mahmud, a coordinator who had to visit the hospital morgue to identify his family members, and the killing of young Samir, shot from a helicopter while lying by a window, underscore the severity of the situation.
“The government cannot evade responsibility for the nationwide genocide by merely reforming the quota system through court judgments and notifications,” the statement declared. “Our 9-point demand has now become the collective demand of the masses. This is now the liberation menifesto for all the people of Bangladesh.”
Abdul Hannan Masood, a key movement coordinator, affirmed that their protests will continue until all demands are met. The detailed 9-point demand is as follows:
- Public Apology from the Prime Minister: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must publicly apologize to the nation for the deaths of students.
- Resignation of Key Ministers: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Education Minister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, and Law Minister Anisul Haque should resign from their positions for their roles in the violence.
- Dismissal of Police Officials: The DIG, Police Commissioner, and Superintendent of Police, including those in Dhaka, should be dismissed.
- Resignation of University Officials: The VCs and proctors of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, and Rajshahi University must resign.
- Arrest of Perpetrators: Policemen who fired on students, and terrorists from Chhatra League-Jubileeg responsible for the attacks, should be arrested and charged with murder.
- Compensation for Victims: Families of all martyred and injured students and citizens should receive compensation.
- Ban on Party-Based Student Politics: All party-based student politics, including the Chhatra League, should be banned, and student councils should be implemented in educational institutions.
- Reopening of Educational Institutions: All educational institutions and residence halls should be opened immediately.
- Protection from Harassment: Students involved in the quota movement should be guaranteed freedom from any form of academic or administrative harassment.
