The battle traces have been drawn and the battlefield is obvious. Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka is predicted to witness a showdown between protesters searching for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s head and her supporters and celebration members who’ve taken to the streets to bodily confront them. Monday is a vital day to find out the path this struggle will take. Protest leaders have referred to as for a “March to Dhaka” and have requested for one individual from every household to march in direction of the capital.
“Now we have determined to advance the lengthy march to Dhaka, which was scheduled for August 6, and have introduced it ahead by at some point to August 5. We attraction to all freedom-loving individuals of Bangladesh to start out their journey to Dhaka. Those that are ready ought to depart for Dhaka tonight. Announce from mosques that you’ll begin your journey to Dhaka. Let one individual from every household embark on this journey to witness historical past,” Asif Mahmud, one of many coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Scholar Motion, introduced on Sunday as Bangladesh descended into anarchy and chaos.
On Sunday, the scenario worsened dramatically when protests towards Hasina’s regime broke out in at the least two dozen districts. sparking widespread violence and killing at the least 98 individuals. Following this, the Scholar Anti-Discrimination Motion, the physique organizing the protests, referred to as for a “March to Dhaka” with the goal of overthrowing the federal government.
Bangladesh is bracing for a doubtlessly catastrophic day on Monday as scholar protesters decided to topple Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s authorities put together for what they name the “ultimate battle.” Hasina’s regime is hanging by a thread.
In the meantime, Bangladesh Military Chief Basic Waker-uz-Zaman is predicted to deal with the nation at 2pm. Until then, the military has appealed to the individuals to chorus from violence and stay affected person.
LONG MARCH TO DHAKA, THE ‘FINAL BATTLE’
The coed-led protests, which started in July over a quota system reserving 30% of presidency jobs for households of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation Warfare, have grown right into a broader motion demanding Prime Minister Hasina’s resignation.
“For us, that is the ultimate battle and we’re prepared for it,” Asif Mahmud added in a video on Sunday.
The July protests, which left greater than 200 individuals lifeless, gave rise to the present demonstrations demanding justice for these killed. Furthermore, widespread discontent with Hasina’s regime has additionally discovered a spot within the current protests.
The protesters, undeterred by the federal government’s harsh response, introduced ahead their “Lengthy March to Dhaka” programme by a day.
On Monday morning, college students from varied instructional establishments gathered on the central Shaheed Minar round 10:00 am to hitch the “March to Dhaka” referred to as by the Scholar Motion In opposition to Discrimination, in line with Prothom Alo.
“Police fired tear gasoline and stun grenades to disperse them,” the Dhaka newspaper reported.
1000’s of individuals have taken to the streets in Jatrabari, Dhaka. In the meantime, police have taken up positions within the space of Jatrabari police station. Military personnel with armoured autos have additionally been seen there, Prothom Alo reported.
STUDENTS PLAN TO GO TO GHERAO GONOBHOBON, HASINA’S RESIDENCE
The protesting college students say they plan to assemble at Gonobhobon, Prime Minister Hasina’s official residence, on Tuesday in a symbolic present of defiance.
The one demand of the protesting college students has been for Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister.
“Sheikh Hasina had mentioned that the gates of Gonobhobon had been open. We’re grateful for that, as a result of she understood that the gates of Gonobhobon needs to be stored open,” scholar chief Nahid Islam roared from Dhaka’s iconic Shaheed Minar on Sunday.
“Our goals, targets and future are clear. Victory is our solely goal. We’re nonetheless giving time. If the federal government continues to resort to violence, we need to allow them to know that we’re searching for Ganabhaban,” Nahid added, flanked by tons of of scholars who cheered enthusiastically.
The transfer is prone to face fierce resistance from safety forces, who’ve already demonstrated their willingness to make use of stay ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gasoline to disperse crowds.
DEATH TOLL MAY INCREASE
Sunday’s nationwide protests left a devastating toll: 98 individuals had been reportedly killed, together with at the least 14 cops who had been crushed to loss of life.
Sunday’s violence was unprecedented and intense, with clashes between protesters, police and members of Hasina’s ruling celebration, the Bangladesh Awami League, together with its youth wing, the Jubo League, and its scholar wing, the Bangladesh Scholar League, spreading throughout a number of districts.
The protesting college students will collect at Shahbag intersection in Dhaka at 2 pm, Dhaka-based JamunaTV reported. “It could be famous that public anxiousness and apprehension has arisen across the ‘March to Dhaka’ programme throughout the curfew,” a JamunaTV report mentioned.
In the meantime, Hasina’s authorities imposed an indefinite curfew on Sunday night to regulate the legislation and order scenario.
The protesting college students have proven no intention of giving in. If the scenario deteriorates additional, the bloodshed is predicted to be even higher than that on Sunday.
In the meantime, Prothom Alo reported that a number of Awami League leaders mentioned that celebration leaders and activists have been instructed to proceed asserting their energy for 2 to a few extra days.
Awami League members had been seen armed with picket batons and machetes.
Anticipating this, the federal government has shut down cellular web providers and restricted social media platforms because the “March to Dhaka” is predicted to grow to be extra intense.
“We’re deeply involved that extra lives could also be misplaced within the deliberate mass march in Dhaka. Political leaders and safety forces should shield the precise to life,” the United Nations human rights group mentioned in an announcement on Monday.
TOTAL INTERNET BLACKOUT
In an effort to suppress the protests, the federal government suspended cellular web providers and restricted entry to social media platforms equivalent to Fb and WhatsApp.
“Stay metrics present Bangladesh is as soon as once more within the midst of a near-total nationwide web shutdown following earlier outages on social media and cellular units; the incident is the second blackout to be imposed as protesters name for Prime Minister Hasina to resign over tons of of scholar deaths,” web watchdog NetBlocks posted on X on Monday morning.
This measure has been criticized for its potential to exacerbate violence, because it limits the flexibility of protesters to coordinate and talk peacefully.
“The regime has reduce off web entry, isolating the nation as soon as once more. The most recent web shutdown, from July 18 to 23, led to a bloodbath by which greater than 250 scholar protesters had been killed. Bangladeshi youth, college students and kids, fearing the identical, are sending out an SOS to the world,” Sultan Mohammed Zakaria, co-founder of the US-based Bangladeshi Diaspora for Justice and Accountability, wrote on X on Monday morning.
In the meantime, within the face of calls to rally in Dhaka, Hasina’s authorities has additionally ordered the closure of Bangladesh’s railway system, successfully paralysing the nation’s transport community. In Dhaka, too, minimal transport providers can be found, a transfer that has been seen as an try to forestall individuals from coming to Dhaka.
AWAMI LEAGUE GATHERS MORE STRENGTH TO QUELL PROTESTS
The ruling Awami League celebration, led by Prime Minister Hasina, is decided to claim its energy within the face of the protests, Prothom Alo reported.
The celebration has accused the principle opposition celebration, the Bangladesh Nationalist Social gathering, and The outlawed Jamaat-e-Islami celebration to co-opt the protests and has vowed to deal harshly with these concerned in “sabotage.”
Awami League sources instructed Prothom Alo that the celebration in a number of conferences held on Saturday determined to smother the motion utilizing its political energy.
Nevertheless, the Awami League and a few males had been reportedly getting ready to indicate their energy on the streets on Saturday midnight. “They had been carrying sticks, machetes and native weapons. Some had been seen utilizing firearms. They had been seen confronting the protesters together with legislation enforcement officers,” Prothom Alo reported.
Hasina’s celebration believes that the quota reform motion has grow to be political by elevating just one demand, which is the resignation of the Prime Minister.
Awami League’s Jahangir Kabir Nanak mentioned on Sunday that the celebration’s endurance had run out, including that “being affected person will not be a weak spot”.
“The Awami League has determined to withstand the anarchists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Social gathering and [the outlawed] “Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at any value,” he mentioned.
As Bangladesh teeters on the sting of the abyss, the world is watching with bated breath. The “ultimate battle” promised by protesters as we speak would be the most intense and violent confrontation for the reason that 1971 Liberation Warfare, and the end result is way from sure. What the military chief says and the stance the navy takes will likely be essential.