Teachers and students organized a mass protest program with several demands, including an end to mass arrests and the trial of those responsible for the July killings.
In accordance with their previous announcement on Thursday, the protesters commenced a mass procession from the Press Club at 3pm on Friday.
A diverse group of participants, including students, teachers, workers, cultural activists, physicians, lawyers, engineers, and intellectuals, joined the event.
Ragib Nayeem, president of a faction of the Chhatra Union, announced four key demands.
Jahangirnagar University teacher Anu Mohammad presided over the program.
The protesters demanded the resignation of the government and the reopening of educational institutions.
They issued an ultimatum to the government, setting a deadline for next Sunday to accept their demands.
The procession travelled from the Press Club to the Kadam Fountain intersection near the High Court and then took position at the Shaheed Minar, passing through Doel Chattor and TSC.
Professor Anu Mohammad emphasized a commitment to peaceful protest, adding: "We will carry out a peaceful movement. No one can create chaos during the movement.”
He continued: "Today, teachers, students, men, and women have come together. We need to free our country from this government. No one can exploit the liberation war. The spirit of the liberation war must be restored to its original place. Those involved in the killings must be prosecuted. The government must accept responsibility for the murder and resign. Our main goal is to bring back democracy."
The protesters' demands include an end to mass arrests, a trial for the July killings, the release of detained students and citizens, the lifting of the curfew, the reopening of educational institutions, and the resignation of the government for allegedly killing numerous students and citizens.
Ragib Nayeem reiterated that all arrested students should be released by Sunday. The curfew must be lifted, educational institutions reopened, and the government should resign by that day. If these demands are not met, a mass rally will be held in front of the National Press Club at 3pm on Sunday.
In his concluding speech, Rashid thanked students, teachers, guardians, doctors, lawyers, and journalists from various educational institutions across the country.
He said: "We are very clear that the government must resign immediately."
He also demanded the unconditional release of those still in prison, accusing the government of incompetence in governance.
Rashid asserted: "Everyone knows who shot Abu Sayed dead. Therefore, you have lost your ability to remain in state power based on this killing. Open the educational institutions, open the halls, withdraw your police from the gates of the universities. If you delay resigning, remember that history has witnessed many events, and similar ones may happen to you. With this in mind, resign immediately."
Public health expert Mushtaq Hossain, Dhaka University teachers CR Abrar and Asif Nazrul, and development economics researcher Maha Mirza were also present at the rally.
