'Blood red protests' inundate Bangladesh

 
Students and professionals from different backgrounds wearing red clothes around their heads brought out protest rallies in several parts of Bangladesh on Wednesday. Even shoving and jostling with police force took place on some spots. The demonstrators have named this agitation "blood red protests" which have glared up both online and offline.

A great number of netizens have posted a portrait on Facebook showing Bangladesh's map on a red background.

People from various professions and social classes have shown solidarity with the demands of the anti-discrimination student movement by tying red clothes around their eyes and faces. They have expressed this solidarity through various activities such as human chains, silent marches, and gatherings. Solidarity with the anti-discrimination student movement has also been visible on social media, with many people using red color in their Facebook posts and profiles.

So far, over 200 people have died due to the quota reform movement. In remembrance of the deceased, the government observed a national day of mourning on Tuesday (July 30). However, some coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement rejected the official mourning and announced their own protest activities by tying red cloths around their eyes and faces. In solidarity with them, people from various professions and social classes carried out different activities.

A protest march and solidarity rally were held at Rajshahi University under the banner "Teachers Against Oppression." The march began at 12 pm from in front of the university's Shaheed Buddhijibi Chattar. Following the march, a rally was held at the main gate of the university. Prominent speakers included Dr Md Amzad Hossain from the Finance Department, Dr Md Iftikharul Alam Masud from the Arabic Department, Dr Md Saleh Hasan Naqib from the Physics Department, and Dr Farid Uddin Khan from the Economics Department.

In the afternoon, students in Panchagarh staged a protest march from the Adhunik Sadar Hospital. While heading towards the district town, police stopped them in front of the Water Development Board. The protesters then held a demonstration there.

In Khulna, school and college students organized a protest and rally at Shibbari Intersection. Around 11.45 am, students arrived at Shibbari Intersection with a march with about 500 participants. They then blocked four roads at the intersection, staging a protest.

Meanwhile, on Facebook, many people were seen posting pictures with red circles around their profile pictures, as well as tying red clothes around their eyes and faces. Teachers, cultural activists, journalists, writers, and students from various professions were among them. Many posted their condolences to the deceased along with the pictures, and some criticized the government's role. On the other hand, government supporters added black frames to their Facebook profiles.

Red frames were seen on the Facebook profiles of Dhaka University professors Asif Nazrul, Kamrul Hasan Mamun, Samina Luthfa, Rushad Faridi, Kajli Seherin Islam, Saiful Alam Chowdhury, and Jamil Khan from Daffodil International University. Ayman Sadiq, co-founder of 10 Minute School, and his wife Munzereen Shahid also used red frames on their Facebook profiles. Initially, the 10 Minute School page used black, but it was changed back to red in response to controversy.

Abdul Hannan Masud, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, explained the reason for using a red color on Facebook and tying a red cloth around the body. He said, "The government has committed nationwide genocide and then described the students' movement as violence, declaring a day of mourning for the deceased, which mocked them. In protest, we have boycotted their black badge campaign. Since their hands are still stained with blood, our response is to conduct an online campaign by tying red cloth around our eyes and faces."