Bangladesh protest leader vows to ignore curfew, observe complete shutdown

In an interview with Netra News, Nahid Islam, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, called on the people of Bangladesh to ignore the government-imposed curfew and enforce a complete shutdown nationwide.

He also appealed to the international community to “come forward, stand beside and support the protesting students in whatever way possible.”

Nahid claimed that Bangladeshi security forces killed scores of people on July 19th and stated that engaging in dialogue with the government “would be a betrayal with the blood of the fallen students,” who have died since the crackdown began on July 15th.

He demanded the withdrawal of all security forces and armed ruling party cadres from the streets. He also mentioned that immense pressure had been applied on them to join a dialogue with the government, with rumours spreading that they had agreed. He alleged that some protest coordinators had been abducted or detained by security agencies for continuing the protest.

BenarNews, a U.S.-based outlet with a presence in Bangladesh, reported 63 deaths on July 19th alone. The government declared a curfew late on July 19th and directed the armed forces to support local authorities in restoring law and order.●