Students Against Discrimination declares one-point demand for govt’s resignation 

The Students Against Discrimination has now announced a one-point demand for the government's resignation. 

Nahid Islam, coordinator of the student platform that led the quota reform protests, made the announcement from a mass gathering at the central Shaheed Minar on the Dhaka University campus on Saturday. 

Around 5:30 pm, he announced through the megaphone, “We have reached a decision about a one-point demand, to ensure safety of human life and establish justice in society. The demand is the downfall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the incumbent government as well as abolition of the fascism.” 

Expressing their vision for a new Bangladesh free from dictatorship and fascism, he said, “For the student and mass uprising, we, on behalf of the Students Against Discrimination, would announce a platform in coordination with student organisations, professionals and people from all walks of life. We would present a national roadmap for future Bangladesh, through consultation with all.” 

The student leader demanded that not only Sheikh Hasina, but also the entire cabinet step down. “The fascist government must be abolished. We want to form a Bangladesh, create a political environment that would never allow another autocracy and fascism.” 

He announced the commencement of a mass uprising and urged all the people to join the protests. Citing non-cooperation from the next day, he called upon the people to get united in their localities against the current government. 

Other leaders of the student platform, including Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Asif Mahmud, Abu Bakr Majumder, and Abdul Quader, also attended the programme and made similar calls. 

The student protests began on 1 July with demands for reforms in the government job quota system. The situation escalated after a deadly clash on 16 July, resulting in the deaths of six people. 

Since then, the movement has gained momentum, with 215 deaths in subsequent clashes, and thousands of injuries. Later, the protesting students presented a nine-point demand, and further suppressions on them consolidated the demands into a single call for the government's resignation.

They called for a demonstration programme across the country for today, with the main gathering at the Shaheed Minar on the Dhaka University campus. 

According to three Prothom Alo correspondents from the spot, protesters started coming to the spot in groups at 2:30 pm, with various anti-government slogans. The crowd of protesters continued to spread in the adjacent areas in the following hours.

Apart from students, people from different walks of life were seen among the protesters.