Student movement besieges HC; gives ultimatum for resignation of 'fascist judges' by 2pm
Salahuddin Sifat, a law student at Dhaka University, told The Business Standard, "Yesterday, Awami League leaders raised anti-government slogans inside the High Court. So today, we besiege the High Court."
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement laid siege to the High Court today (16 October), giving an ultimatum for the resignation of judges appointed during the ousted Awami League government's regime by 2pm.
Key coordinators of the movement Hasnat Abdullah and Sargis Alam announced the ultimatum. They also demanded Chhatra League be banned as a "terrorist organisation".
A group of lawyers also joined the students' march with a banner stating their demand for immediate removal of judges who are affiliated with the previous "fascist" government.
The protestors were chanting various slogans – "Judges of fascism must be removed," "Ban Awami League, form revolutionary government," and "Ban Awami League, free Bangladesh."
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Students of various institutions were seen gathering in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University at around 11am, demanding the ban of Awami League as a political party and the trial of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Salahuddin Sifat, a law student at Dhaka University, told The Business Standard, "Yesterday, Awami League leaders raised anti-government slogans inside the High Court. So today, we besiege the High Court."
The student movement announced its programme earlier, pressing their demand for the resignation of what they called "fascist judges."
Hasnat Abdullah announced the programme in a Facebook post yesterday. In the post, he wrote, "In demand of the resignation of the fascist judges of the Awami League, we will besiege the High Court tomorrow [Wednesday] at 11am."
The programme caused traffic disruptions around the High Court and Shahbagh areas.
Following over a month of protests, Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on 5 August, leading to the ouster of the Awami League government.
An interim government, led by Chief Adviser Prof Yunus, took its place.
Earlier on 10 August, students had raised a 2-hour ultimatum for the resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and other justices of the Appellate Division.
They had marched towards the High Court premises, demanding the resignation of justices loyal to the Awami League and a restructuring of the country's judiciary.
The following day, Obaidul Hassan and five other judges of the Appellate Division stepped down.
The five other judges are: Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim, Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Kashefa Hussain.
