On July 17 last year, quota reform protesters had declared a nationwide 'complete shutdown' for July 18, protesting the law enforcement agencies' attack on them while staging demonstration on Dhaka University (DU) campus following their pre-scheduled 'gayebana janaza' for six people killed on July 16, reports BSS.
"I declare a complete shutdown across the country for tomorrow, 18 July, to protest the police, BGB, RAB, and SWAT attacks on the peaceful student movements, and to press home our one-point demand for quota reform," Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, a key coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, declared through a post on his personal Facebook account at around 08:00 pm on July 17 last year.
Asif, now an adviser of the interim government, also wrote that no establishments, apart from the hospitals and emergency services, would be allowed to open, and no vehicles, except ambulances, would be allowed to ply.
In his post, he urged students from all schools, colleges, universities, and madrasahs as well as guardians from across the country to make the shutdown a success.
Earlier, when students protesters across the country tried to hold their pre-scheduled 'gayebana janaza' and symbolic 'coffin procession' for the six people, including three students, killed on July 16, they faced resistance from the police as well as activists of Chhatra League, Jubo League and other wings of the then ruling Awami League.
The central venue for the janaza was the Raju Memorial Sculpture on DU campus. But when students from different halls of the university tried to reach the venue carrying symbolic coffins at around 02:30 pm, police obstructed and dispersed them by firing sound grenades.
Eventually, at around 04:00 pm, the student protesters performed the janaza in front of the Vice Chancellor's residence on DU campus and vowed to continue their movement until their demand is met. "We will not let this movement go in vain. We will not back down until our demands are met."
After the janaza, when protesters attempted to move toward TSC with a procession by breaking through police barricades, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas and lobbed sound grenades at the protesters. After the attack, Sarjis Alam, also a key-coordinator of the movement, reacted saying police attacked them blocking every entrance of the campus.
Besides, the government instructed all mobile operators to shutdown internet services nationwide.
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