Students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) staged a late-night protest early Friday, blocking the Dhaka-Aricha Highway for about 30 minutes to demand an immediate political ban on the Awami League (AL) and its affiliated organisations.
The demonstration was in response to the party's alleged role in the mass killings during the July uprising.
The protest began around 1am near the Bot Tala area of the campus, where students gathered and marched through key roads before reaching the main gate and occupying the highway. Traffic resumed around 2am after the demonstrators left the area.
Student leaders cited the events of July, during which they claimed some 2,000 students and civilians were killed in violence allegedly orchestrated by the then-ruling party. They accused the AL of committing crimes against the people and argued that the party has lost all moral and political legitimacy, UNB reports.
Arifuzzaman Ujjal, convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement at JU, stated, “The AL lost its moral right to rule following the mass killings during the July uprising. The people of Bangladesh have passed their verdict that the party must be banned.”
He warned the interim government, which came to power following the uprising, to remain accountable to its promises or risk being removed as well. “We urge all anti-fascist forces to unite,” he said.
Abdur Rashid Jitu, convenor of the Active People's Uprising Protection Movement at JU, added, “We see attempts to rehabilitate the AL. The warriors of the July uprising are still alive. We will stop any such move—even if it costs our lives.”
The protest follows a separate demonstration on Wednesday night, when members of the National Citizens Party (NCP), along with student supporters, gathered outside the residence of the chief adviser, demanding a formal political ban on the AL.
The demonstrations highlight the enduring tensions and political fallout from last year's violent unrest, which has left a deep mark on the nation's political landscape.
