Students greet President with black flags at Shaheed Minar
In the early hours of Ekushey February, students wielding black flags greeted President Mohammad Shahabuddin, nicknamed "Chuppu," with chants of "Go back Chuppu" as he arrived at the Central Shaheed Minar midnight past Thursday.
The protest, erupting just after midnight, saw demands for Shahabuddin’s resignation, the execution of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and a ban on the Awami League.
The protest began Thursday at 11:00pm, when students—already eight days into a demonstration at Dhaka University’s Raju Memorial Monument—marched toward the Shaheed Minar.
Having demanded the Awami League’s dissolution since February 13, the group crossed a barricade near Shamsunnahar Hall, only to be halted by police at Shibbari intersection. Undeterred, they held their ground, raising slogans like “Shaheed Abu Sayeed Zindabad,” “July Revolution Zindabad,” “We want the hanging of murderer Hasina,” and “Make Dr Yunus the President.”
Leading the charge were figures from the National Revolutionary Council (NRC) and Revolutionary Students’ Council (RSC), including NRC political head Md Anisur Rahman, member secretary Hasan Mohammad Arif, and RSC coordinator Mohammad Hizbullah. Other key voices included Abdul Wahed, Fazlur Rahman, and branch leaders like Golam Noor Shafayetullah (Dhaka University) and Ariful Islam (Bangladesh Islamic University).
The protest stretched until 12:30am, after which students returned to Raju monument, announcing an urgent press conference for Friday. There, they plan to unveil a list of “fascists” from the Awami League era.
The movement traces back to February 13, when Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Md Omar Faruk and Abu Sayeed launched a hunger strike at Raju Sculpture. Joined later by RSC activists, the demonstration gained momentum. On February 16, the family of Jatrabari martyr Rana Talukder lent their support, urging persistence until the Awami League is banned. The hunger strike has since evolved into a sit-in, featuring speeches, poetry, rap performances, and screenings of a July uprising documentary.
