The anti-discrimination student movement on July 28 last year carried out a nationwide graffiti drawing and wall writing campaigns as well as a mass public outreach programme both online and offline to press home their pre-declared three-point demands, reports BSS.
Earlier, on July 27, they declared the programmes with a 24-hour ultimatum to meet their demands that included immediate release of all detained students including movement coordinators, withdrawal of all cases filed against students and taking action against those responsible for killing students during the movement.
However, in the capital, police obstructed the protesters while carrying out graffiti drawing and wall writing campaigns highlighting the fiery spirit of the July resistance against the law enforcers' crackdown on the demonstrators.
Police intervened in the campaign while cartoonists and fine arts students of Dhaka University (DU) were drawing graffiti in the Central Shaheed Minar and Palashi areas and seized the protesters' painting equipment, halting their efforts midway.
The graffiti featured the stories of martyrs during the quota reform movement, including a child Riya Gope.
Different universities, including East West University in the capital, Jahangirnagar University (JU) in Savar, Chattogram University (CU), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet, across the country conducted the campaign.
The SUST students painted a picture of Abu Sayeed spreading his arms wide open depicting the way of scenario how he was shot unarmed by police from a close distance.
The graffiti carried slogans like: "Sonar Bangla Aj Mrittyupuri Keno?", "Amar Bhaider Marli Keno?" "Save The Country, Join The Fight", "Ak Dike Natok Kore, Onno Dike Gum Kore", "52 Dekhini, 24 Dekhechhi" and "Hamar Betak Marlu Kene?"
However, the six coordinators, who were in the custody of Detective Branch (DB) police, appeared in a video message from the DB office that night with Nahid Islam announcing the withdrawal of the movement.
But other student protesters rejected the announcement, saying that "Nahid was forced to announce the withdrawal" while a photo surfaced on social media showing the coordinators seated at a dinner table with food in front of them with Additional Commissioner of DB Police Harun-Ur-Rashid.
Earlier on the day, when family members of the detained coordinators wanted to meet them at the DB office, police officials didn't allow them.
However, another coordinator Nusrat Tabassum, was taken into DB custody early that morning. Her family reported that police broke into a house in Mirpur and detained her.
Besides, the same night, Abdul Kader, another coordinator of the movement, issued a statement declaring fresh protest programmes and rallies across the country for the next day (July 29).
© 2025 - All Rights with The Financial Express
