Hundreds of Bangladeshis took out a 'March for Unity' in Dhaka on Tuesday to mark the student-led uprising five months ago. It was the student-led uprising that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and killed over 1,000 people.
The protesters chanted slogans against Hasina.
The Students Against Discrimination (SAD) group that led the protests, dropped a plan to call for changes to the country's 1972 constitution at the rally after the interim government announced on Monday that it would prepare a proclamation, reported Reuters.
According to the students' group, a 'Proclamation of the July Revolution' is essential to honour the sacrifice of the protesters who died or were wounded during the protests.
The press office of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the interim government, said it would seek national consensus on a 'Declaration of the July Uprising', focusing on unity, state reform, and the broader goals of the uprising.
On Tuesday, groups of students arrived from across the country and families of those killed in the unrest also joined the rally.
"My son Shahriar, a ninth-grade student, was killed (during the protests)," Abul Hasan told the rally. "Our tears will never stop, this pain will never end."
The protests were initially sparked by opposition to public sector job quotas. Later, the student-led movement quickly morphed into a broader uprising against Hasina's government.
The unrest reached its peak on August 5, when violence forced Hasina to resign and flee to India. Protesters stormed into her official residence and ransacked the place. Over 1,000 people were killed during the protests, marking the country's deadliest period since its 1971 independence war.
After Hasina’s ouster, an interim government was formed, tasked with restoring stability and preparing for elections. The interim administration includes two representatives of the students. Yunus has said elections could be held by the end of 2025.
