Hasanat Abdullah, the central coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, stated, “The interim government must be given time until reforms are implemented. We no longer want elections held in the style of the autocratic government with night-time voting. As long as the Election Commission cannot ensure fair elections, there will be no voting.”
He made these comments during a meeting with students and the public in Khagrachari on Monday. Besides Khagrachari, coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement held separate meetings today in Barisal, Kushtia, Gaibandha, and Narsingdi.
The regional and district-level tour of the anti-discrimination student movement began on Sunday. During this tour, the coordinator team is holding meetings with families of those affected by the student movement, political leaders, and administrative officials in each district. Prior to this, a delegation from the anti-discrimination student movement, led by Sarjes Alam, visited Munshiganj on Sunday. The meeting in Barisal University’s Kobir Jobananda Das Conference Hall took place at noon today. Abdul Hannan Masud, the central coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, “We have united in the movements of the Liberation War of 1971, the mass uprising of 1990, and the upcoming mass uprising of 2024. However, after the uprisings, there was division in the state’s reform and reconstruction period, preventing us from reaching our desired goal. This time, we cannot allow this failure. We must remain united and continue our movement for state reform and repair.”
In the afternoon, separate meetings were held at the Band Road Arts Academy Auditorium and in the evening at the Government Brahman College. These meetings were attended by central coordinators including Sanjana Afifa Aditi of Dhaka University, MA Said, Ryan Ferdous, Cynthia Jahan Ayesha from Badrunnesa College, Hasibul Hossain Shanto from North South University, Mobashwera Karim Mimi from American International University, Touhid Ahmed Ashik from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Jihad Hossain from Dhaka College, and Shahidul Islam Shahed, Sujan Mahmud, and Sirajul Islam from Barisal University, among others.
As part of the Khulna regional student-public visit, the coordinators arrived in Kushtia from Dhaka yesterday morning. The team included coordinators Nusrat Tabassum, Wahid Ujjaman, Akram Hossain, Ashrefa Khatun, Abu Bakar Khan, Farhana Farina, Muinul Islam, Bishwajit Dutta, Touhid Islam, Babu Khan, Jannat, Naheed Uddin, Said Appridi, Mehedi Hasan, and Shakil Hossain. The coordinators held a meeting with families of victims of the student movement at Kushtia Arts Academy Auditorium at 10 a.m., visited the graves of the two deceased in the Haripur area, and had a meeting with district administration heads and political leaders at around 12 p.m.
Nusrat Tabassum stated, “The police in Kushtia district are still not actively working. Several municipal councilors are absent from work. There is still politicization, extortion, and occupation happening in various offices in the district.” She further added, “Kushtia is my district. I earnestly request that these irregularities and corruption not be seen in my district.”
In Gaibandha, a meeting with students and citizens was held in the afternoon at the Independence Square Field in the city. The meeting featured speeches from Mohammad Abdullah, Tarikul Islam, Abu Said Niyon, Abdul Munnim, Rokib Masud, SI Shaheen, Mishu Ali Suhas, Mumtahina Mahjabin, Zahir Raihan, Fihadur Rahman, Suman Basunia, Sajib Islam, Abdur Rafiq, Zakaria Hossain, Bisalat, Rakib Hasan, and others from the Dhaka University student anti-discrimination movement.
Disruptions at Two Locations
In the Khagrachari Town Hall meeting in the afternoon, Hasanat Abdullah spoke and called for giving time to the interim government until reforms are implemented.
Hasanat Abdullah remarked, “Officials in various offices, including land, passport, and BRTA, have slowed down their work due to an inability to accept bribes. We will withdraw the officials appointed during the fascist government if they are not public-friendly. We were united during 47, 71, and 90. However, whenever we form a government, we become divided. But this time, we must not allow this division.”
Thousands of students gathered in front of the Town Hall from noon. They chanted slogans against extortion, looting, and autocracy both inside and outside the Town Hall. As the event began at 5 p.m., scuffles broke out throughout the Town Hall. The situation was brought under control after approximately 40 minutes when the army and police arrived.
At 9:30 a.m. today, the team led by Sarjes Alam arrived in Narsingdi. They held three meetings at the Narsingdi Club in the Basail area from morning to afternoon. During the second and third meetings, a disturbance occurred among local coordinators inside the Narsingdi Club. There was heated argument between the two parties over the pre-announced venue. Sarjes Alam suggested moving the meeting to the municipal park. When this did not resolve the issue, the meeting was postponed, and the delegation left Narsingdi in the afternoon.
Abdullah Saleheen Oyin, a central coordinator, stated that the meeting in Narsingdi will be rescheduled based on mutual agreement among local coordinators.
[This report was assisted by local correspondents and representatives from the relevant areas.]