The tension eased somewhat when military personnel used loudspeakers to urge the protesters to leave the area. According to reports, two individuals sustained gunshot wounds when security forces opened fire to prevent the protesters from breaching the barricades. Additionally, a third person was injured by a sound grenade deployed to disperse the crowd.
Bangladesh Protest: Why Students are protesting again?
The protesters are calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, following his controversial remarks on deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In an interview with the Bangla daily Manab Zamin last week, Shahabuddin stated he had no documentary evidence that Hasina had resigned before fleeing the country on August 5 amid student-led mass protests.
The protesters have accused Shahabuddin of “falsehood”, asserting that his remarks constituted a violation of his oath of office.
Also Read: Bangladesh protest: After Sheikh Hasina, Students demand New President Resignation Again
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which played a pivotal role in Hasina’s ouster, organized a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar, has now demanded Shahabuddin’s resignation. They have set a seven-day deadline for his removal and presented a five-point demand, including the scrapping of Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution.
“Our first demand is the immediate repeal of the ‘pro-Mujib 1972 Constitution,’ which has kept Chuppu (the president’s nickname) in office,” said Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the movement. He emphasized the need for a new constitution to reflect the current political climate as Bangladesh approaches the 2024 elections.
Abdullah warned that the protesters would “return to the streets with full force” if their demands were not met within the week. Other groups joined the protests, gathering at key locations, including Dhaka University, the Shaheed Minar, and Bangabhaban.
Incidentally, earlier in a televised address on the night of August 5, Shahabuddin had claimed, “You know Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has tendered her resignation letter to the president, and I have received it.” He made this statement while flanked by military leaders, including Army Chief General Waker uz Zaman.
Nazrul pointed out that if Shahabuddin now refused to acknowledge the resignation letter, he would contradict himself and could face charges of falsehood. Following a nearly 40-minute closed-door meeting with Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, Nazrul, along with information ministry adviser Nahid Islam, faced media speculation regarding the potential methods for removing the president.
Why Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh
Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina had blamed the United States for her ouster.
“I resigned, so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over the dead bodies of students, but I did not allow it, I resigned from premiership. I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal,” Hasina had earlier said.
Before the quota movement, Hasina in April had told parliament that America is pursuing a strategy of regime change in her country. “They are trying to eliminate democracy and introduce a government that will not have a democratic existence.”
With agency inputs