On Sunday morning, scores of students gathered at Zero Point in Dhaka, chanting anti-fascism slogans in response to the Awami League's scheduled protest.
Students from various universities started assembling at around 11am, raising slogans like "No place for fascism, in my Shonar Bangla," "Grab a League, hold them down, cut them down," "We’ve given our blood, we’ll give more," and "We want, we want, justice, justice," among others.
One student, Naimur, said: “The party and government that brought fascism to its peak and killed my brothers and sisters, they will get no pardon. We don’t want any League, and that’s why we are holding this protest today.”
The Awami League had previously announced a demonstration at Shaheed Noor Hossain Square, Zero Point, at 3pm on Sunday, demanding the "removal of undemocratic forces and restoration of a democratic system."
In response, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement called for their own protest at the same location, starting at 12 noon.
Meanwhile, the area around Zero Point remained calm, with traffic flowing smoothly and people going about their normal activities.
However, police were on high alert, with a significant presence of law enforcement and intelligence personnel stationed near the Secretariat Road and an armored vehicle positioned at the protest site.
A police officer from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed that multiple platoons of police were deployed, including plainclothes officers, to ensure security throughout the day.
