August 1, 2024: Jamaat banned, protests surge, death toll mounts

The day marked a turning point in Bangladesh's deepening political crisis, as the government officially banned Jamaat-e-Islami and all its affiliated organisations, including Islami Chhatra Shibir. The decision, formalised through a home ministry gazette notification, came amid escalating public unrest, growing demands for justice over student killings, and continued mass demonstrations across the country.

In a separate development, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the media that both the United Nations and any interested country were welcome to send experts to Bangladesh to investigate recent incidents of violence. "I want all incidents to be investigated because it should be found out what was behind those incidents and how those happened," she said.

It may be noted that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk had earlier offered to deploy an independent fact-finding team to help restore public trust and de-escalate tensions. "In these challenging times, my office is ready to support your efforts in resolving the current crisis," he wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister dated July 23.

Meanwhile, six coordinators of the quota reform movement who had been in Detective Branch custody were released around 1:30pm. Badrul Islam, father of one of the organisers, Nahid Islam, confirmed their release to this newspaper.

On campuses across the country, teachers and students staged demonstrations under the "Remembering Our Heroes" campaign. At least five public universities saw teachers organising human chains, silent marches, and rallies demanding justice for the victims of state violence and an end to the harassment of both students and faculty.

At Rajshahi University, teachers intervened to prevent the detention of students during a protest. However, in Barishal University, police detained 12 students during a demonstration. In the capital, the Bangladesh University Teachers' Network held a rally near the Raju Sculpture, demanding the immediate release of arrested students, the withdrawal of law enforcement from campuses, and the reopening of educational institutions.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a strong statement accusing the government and pro-ruling party officials in law enforcement agencies of spreading misinformation to obscure the truth about the student killings. He urged government officials, including those in the administration and police, to refrain from following "unjust and illegal" instructions. He also warned that as the repression intensified, so too would public resistance.

Tragically, one more life was lost to the violence. Selim Talukder, a 31-year-old factory worker from Narayanganj, succumbed to his injuries at Popular Hospital in Dhanmondi. He had suffered 56 shotgun pellet wounds to his chest and 18 to his head after being caught in clashes between police and protesters on July 18 while on his way to work. With his death, the confirmed death toll since July 16 rose to at least 201.

Amid growing outrage, a group of eminent citizens demanded the immediate release of all detainees within 24 hours. Speaking at a human chain in front of the Detective Branch office on Minto Road under the banner of Aggrieved Citizens' Society, they noted that while the six student leaders had been freed, many teachers, students, and civilians remained in custody.

Later that evening, Abdul Kader, a coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, announced fresh programmes for the following day. These included prayers at mosques, temples, and churches, followed by a mass procession after Juma prayers to press home their nine-point demand. Kader urged citizens from all walks of life—teachers, workers, professionals, cultural activists, human rights defenders, intellectuals, and madrasa students—to support the initiative.