August 4, 2024: Country in turmoil over non-cooperation movement

Just a day before the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, the state’s armed forces became reckless. On that day, a writ seeking instructions not to shoot at the protesters was also dismissed. As a result, various forces started beating ordinary students in a militant manner on August 4. In the meantime, the March to Dhaka was announced. At this stage of the movement, the general public, including students, became adamant on one point demand. That is, Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. With that demand, the non-cooperation program of the movement started across the country from the 4th. At the same time, a stricter curfew was imposed across the country. From that morning, various areas including Jatrabari in the capital became a battlefield for the resistance of the students and the public. Hundreds of people began to face the armed attacks of the Chhatra League-Jub League and the police with their bare hands. Students, teachers, guardians and ordinary people from various institutions in the vicinity including East West, BRAC University descended on Rampura. Bullets started raining down on them. The same picture was seen in Uttara, Badda, Pragati Sarani. Karwan Bazar, Science Lab, Shahbagh, Bangla Motor and Dhanmondi were like battlefields. At that time, angry protesters vandalized various government establishments in isolation, and arson was also committed inside the BSMMU compound. The protesters continued to vent their anger even after breaking the main gate of the lower court and entering inside. At that time, blood was flowing in the hospitals. Doctors and nurses were struggling to treat so many bullet-injured people. In just a few hours, 67 people were admitted to Dhaka Medical College with bullet injuries. About 250 people were injured and received treatment. Of these, 7 people died in the emergency department. Meanwhile, an unprecedented picture was seen in Mirpur. A group of army members stood as a shield for the protesters against the government-backed forces. At that time, the army members fired blank shots at the police and Chhatra League; The common man could smell the different calculations. There was strong resistance from students and the public all over the country to pay the price of blood. The whole country, including Chittagong, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Dinajpur, Jhenaidah, was a battlefield. Then, in a last-ditch effort to hold on to power, Sheikh Hasina sat in a meeting with the then ministers, state ministers, and armed forces chiefs. In that meeting, she pressured the army to open fire on the movement. When this was the situation, the ‘do or die’ decision was made by the protesters. The announcement was not on the 6th, but on August 5th. The coordinators said that the decision to bring the March to Dhaka forward by a day was basically a trap. Immediately after the announcement of the ‘March to Dhaka’, the air from Teknaf to Tentulia became heavy. At that time, Bangladesh was preparing for something big. Sheikh Hasina was getting advance messages about leaving the office for the second time after a decade and a half.