In a show of defiance, the Anti-Discriminatory Students Movement has flooded social media with red profile photos and images of people wearing red cloth around their eyes and mouths.
This campaign is part of their protest against the government's recently announced mourning day for victims of the quota reform movement.
On Tuesday, Facebook and other social media platforms were overwhelmed with profiles displaying red-themed pictures.
The government declared a national mourning day on Tuesday to honour those who lost their lives in the quota reform protests. This decision was made during a cabinet meeting on Monday.
However, a faction of the Anti-Discriminatory Students Movement rejected this mourning program, viewing it as insufficient and insincere.
In a statement issued on Monday night, Mahin Sarkar, a coordinator of the movement, announced the adoption of the new protest strategy: tying red cloth around the mouth and eyes.
This move was aimed at highlighting their dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the situation.
Following the announcement, students and supporters quickly updated their Facebook profile pictures to feature red colours.
Many opted for images showing red cloth tied around their mouths and eyes.
This visual protest saw participation from a wide range of individuals, including teachers, cultural workers, journalists, writers, and students.
Abdul Hannan Masud, another coordinator of the movement, criticized the government's decision: “The government’s declaration of a mourning day is nothing but a mockery of the martyrs. In response, we have boycotted their black badge program.
“Their hands remain tainted with blood. Therefore, we have chosen to use red cloth in our online campaign to signify our protest,” he added.
The controversy deepened on Sunday night when Nahid Islam, a key leader of the quota reform movement, announced the withdrawal of all protest activities after a meeting at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch (DB) office.
This announcement was made via a video message, with several coordinators, including Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Abu Baker Mojumdar, Asif Mahmood, and Nusrat Tabassum, present.
However, allegations have surfaced that the statement was made under duress, leading to a new wave of protest activities from a faction within the movement.