Thousands march in Bangladesh to mark student-led uprising that ousted Prime Minister Hasina Reuters

DHAKA (Reuters) – Thousands of Bangladeshis gathered for a ‘March for Unity’ in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday to mark the student-led uprising five months ago that ousted longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and remember more than 1,000 people killed in the violence.

The group Students Against Discrimination (SAD), which led the protests, abandoned plans to call for changes to the country’s 1972 constitution at the rally, after the interim government announced on Monday that it would prepare a proclamation.

The US says the ‘Proclamation of the July Revolution’ is essential to honoring the sacrifice of protesters who died or were wounded, and to serve as a document that reflects the aspirations of the people. Some political analysts have expressed concern that new instability could result if students seek changes to the constitution without a broader consensus.

The press office of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who heads the interim government, said he would seek a national consensus on a ‘Declaration on the July Uprising’, focusing on unity, state reform and the uprising’s broader goals. The hope was expressed that the declaration will be finalized soon.

On Tuesday, groups of students arrived from all over the country, and the families of those killed in the riots joined the gathering. They carried the national flag and shouted slogans against Hasina.

“My son Shahriar, a ninth grade student, was killed (during the protest),” Abul Hasan said at the rally. “Our tears will never stop, this pain will never stop.”

The protests were initially motivated by opposition to employment quotas in the public sector. What began as a student-led movement quickly turned into a broader, national uprising against Hasa’s government.

The unrest peaked on August 5, when violence forced Hasina to resign and flee to India, shortly before protesters stormed her official residence. More than 1,000 people were killed during the protests, marking the country’s deadliest period since its 1971 war of independence.

A provisional government was formed with the task of re-establishing stability and preparing for elections. There are two student representatives in the temporary administration.

Yunus said that elections could be held by the end of 2025.