Thousands of Bangladeshis gathered in a central square in Dhaka for a mass protest, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Asif Mahmud, a prominent leader of the protests in the country, urged his followers to fight injustice. “Prepare bamboo sticks and liberate Bangladesh,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. Al Jazeera reported.
The protests, which sparked days of chaos last month as masses across the country demonstrated against civil service quotas, have seen more than 200 people killed, cited as one of the worst episodes of unrest in Hasina's 15-year rule, as police impose a deadly crackdown on protesters.
Following the recent protests, the military intervened to maintain peace and restore order in the country.
A day earlier, addressing soldiers at the military headquarters in Dhaka, army chief Waker-uz-Zaman said: “The Bangladesh Army is the symbol of people's trust.”
“He has always been on the side of the people and will continue to do so for the good of the people and for any need of the State,” he added, according to a statement.
In this regard, some former military officers have joined the student movement. One former army chief, General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, showed his support by turning his Facebook profile picture red.
The unrest continued, prompting people to refuse to pay taxes and utility bills on Sunday, putting pressure on Hasina's government.
Meanwhile, Hasina, 76, has ruled Bangladesh since 2009. She is accused of abusing state institutions and killing opposition activists just to gain power in the country.
