Shawdesh Desk:

A group of protesters of the Students Movement Against Discrimination, a platform for the anti-quota movement, on Tuesday gave a 48-hour ultimatum demanding reopening of the educational institutions.

Leaders of the platform announced the ultimatum at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity in Dhaka on Tuesday under tight police guard.

Minutes before the press conference started, a huge number of law enforcers took positions in front of the DRU, but they left the spot soon after the end of the press conference.

Sarjis Alam, one of the coordinators, placed four demands at the conference.

The demands are activation of internet services, withdrawal of the curfew, ensuring security for all coordinators of the student movement, and reopening of residential halls of educational institutions, withdrawing law enforcement agencies from the campus.

Addressing the press conference, Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the movement, said that  an unexpected situation was created following the attacks by the people of the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League, along with Juba league, and law enforcement agencies on the peaceful movement of students following the provocation of the senior persons of the government.

‘As the law enforcement agencies failed to give security to students, we urged students, guardians, as well as all the citizens of the country to come out on the streets to give security to the students,’ Nahid said.

‘Amid the resistance of the people, the government disconnected internet services, and ousted students from the halls that clearly violated human rights,’ added Nahid.

He said that the government imposed a curfew and deployed the army, and in a pre-planned way miscreants set fire to different state entities to destroy the movement, and the students were not involved in the violence.

‘It occurred due to irresponsible behaviour of the government, and the government is completely responsible for the violent situation,’ said Nahid.

The government has failed to ensure security of the people, and now the government is avoiding its responsibility by putting the blame on different political parties, Nahid said.

‘The government urged for discussion, but we rejected the proposal as the government ousted students from the campus through a digital crackdown and shooting at innocent people on the streets,’ Nahid said.

Nahid, who appeared at the press conference wearing a ‘lungi’, also alleged that he was forced disappeared for 24 hours and tortured mentally and physically as they rejected the government offer to talk.

‘When the students went to the government to place demands, they circulated it to the media as a dialogue and spread propaganda,‘ he said.

The government tried to dispatch the protesting students through the ongoing curfew, using all forces of the state and now they issued the quota reform gazette, he said.

Quota reform movement is a non-political movement but the government at first tried to stop the peaceful movement by blaming protesters as anti-liberation forces, Nahid added.

He said that quota reform seekers were stakeholders but the quota gazette was issued without any discussion with the students, he said, adding, ‘We want to resolve the quota related problems through dialogue.’

‘Our demand is reflected in the gazette, but there is a need for more talks with the government,’ Nahid said.

‘Several hundred students and citizens were killed and thousands were injured in the several weeks, but there are no specific figures of the deaths and injured people. We want justice for all causalities,’ Nahid said.

‘Members of the law enforcement agencies are visiting our residences and arresting people across the country in a wholesale manner and we want to resolve of this situation,’ He said.

He urged the security forces for not to come in confrontation with the students again and no bullet was fired to kill any innocent people.

Billal Hossain, father of Asif Mahmud, one of the coordinator of the student movement, claimed at the press conference that his son Asif is missing since July 18.

Hasib AL Islam, Muntahin Mahzabin Mohona, Hasnat Abdullah, and Mahin Sarker, was also appeared at the press conference.