Families of those killed in student protests in Bangladesh on Tuesday placed 11-point demands, including rehabilitation by providing jobs, before the interim government to be formed to replace ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The death toll in the massive protests that broke out following the Hasina-led government’s announcement of a job quota system has risen to 440, with more than 200 people killed in renewed violence over the weekend with violent clashes between police and mainly student protesters.
A statement signed by Harun-ur Rashid, convener of the proposed “Committee on the families of those injured and killed in the anti-discrimination student movement”, said an initiative has been taken to collect accurate data on the families of students, children, youth, elderly, men and women injured and killed in the violence.
The demands include providing a monthly grant of 2,000-3,000 taka to all students from pre-primary to masters based on age under a “food-card” programme, unemployment allowance of 3,000 taka to job seekers, formation of an inquiry committee of armed forces and students to treat those injured in the anti-discrimination student movement and immediate rehabilitation of the affected families, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
The demands include direct government scholarships to students studying in private universities, renaming educational institutions named after various members of Sheikh Hasina family and Shaheed Pilkhana after martyred army officers and naming them in memory of martyrs killed in various movements and anti-discrimination student protests.
The committee demanded that the neutral former military and police force members be immediately included in the UN peacekeeping missions and Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) and Bangladesh Scouts be also included as their partners to improve the current law and order situation.
The demands include immediate initiative for the recovery of all illegal weapons used in the agitation in the past, consideration of reappointment of honest and efficient officers and employees of all categories who were denied promotion/compulsory retirement due to harassment and discrimination during the previous government, among others.
It said that prompt recovery of money of big defaulters and money smuggled abroad, speedy trial in military courts against big defaulters and money smugglers, and inclusion of at least one person from the families of active students of the anti-reservation movement, families of the injured and families of those killed in the interim government should be done.
The Committee expressed its deep condolences to the bereaved families of those killed and injured in the agitation and congratulated the military officers and soldiers of all levels of the Armed Forces, including the Chief of the Bangladesh Army.
Meanwhile, in a video message released by the Media and Public Relations Division of the Police Headquarters on Tuesday, Inspector General of Police Chaudhry Abdullah Al Mamun called on all political parties and leaders of Students Against Discrimination to refrain from attacking police members and their establishments.
He said army personnel were assisting the police to ensure their safety.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
