Students under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, besieged the High Court premises demanding the removal of controversial, pro-Awami League judges.
The protest began at around 11am on Wednesday (16 October), as students assembled in front of the the High Court within the Supreme Court premises.
Lawyers later joined the protesters. In anticipation of the demonstration, security around the High Court gates and surrounding areas had already been tightened.
Meanwhile, at around 11:45am, another protest march, organised under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, commenced from the base of the Anti-Terrorism Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University, heading towards the High Court.
Earlier in the morning, from 10:30am, students from various educational institutions, including Dhaka University, gathered near the Raju Sculpture, chanting slogans.
The slogans included, "Death, death, we demand death; the execution of killer Hasina"; "Abu Sayeed Mughdha, the war is not over"; "Beware the sycophants of the autocrats"; "Besiege, besiege, the High Court will be besieged"; "The streets, not sycophancy, the streets"; "Delhi or Dhaka, Dhaka, Dhaka"; "No compromise, only struggle"; "Awaken, awaken, the student body has awakened."
The protest follows an announcement made by two coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, on Tuesday (15 October).
In a social media post, they called for a sit-in outside the High Court the following morning at 11am, demanding the resignation of what they described as "fascist, pro-Awami League judges."
The situation around the High Court remains tense as protests continue, with students and lawyers voicing their demands for justice and the removal of biased judicial figures.
At approximately 12:30pm, Hassanat Abdullah, a prominent coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, delivered an ultimatum in the Supreme Court premises demanding the removal of judges supported by the Awami League by 2 PM today.
Abdullah stated, “It is imperative that the judges and lawyers affiliated with the Awami League be dismissed by this deadline.” He further called for the prohibition of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, labelling it a terrorist organisation.
He articulated that the purpose of the anti-discrimination student movement is to establish a just and equitable Bangladesh, highlighting the ongoing suffering of thousands of injured individuals who remain hospitalised.
“Our movement has outlined eight demands, including the eradication of fascism,” Abdullah declared, adding that the judges used by Sheikh Hasina to impose fascism must be removed.
