Aftermath of the Student–People's uprising

Location	Bangladesh
Cause	Student–People's uprising Resignation of Sheikh Hasina

Part of a series on the
Student–People's uprising
First phase Second phase
History Ohidul Islam and others v. The State Quota reform movement July massacre Internet shutdown Non-cooperation movement
Organisations Anti-discrimination Students Movement Supporters: Bangladesh Nationalist Party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti
People Nahid Islam Sarjis Alam Hasnat Abdullah Asif Mahmud Abu Sayed
Aftermath Resignation of Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Mujibur Rahman statue destruction Violence Interim government Constitutional crisis Cases against Hasina
Deaths Abu Sayed Mir Mugdho Farhan Faiyaaz Tahmid Bhuiyan Tamim Tahir Zaman Priyo Golam Nafiz
Legacy Awaaz Utha July 36 July Shaheed Smrity Foundation Museum
Politics Bangladesh

Bangladesh's army chief Waker-uz-Zaman, announced on 5 August 2024, that an interim government will be formed in the country after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India.^[1]

On 8 August 2024, Muhammad Yunus took oath as the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh in Bangabhaban, Dhaka in the presence of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.^[2][3]

A constitutional crisis emerged on August 5, 2024, following Sheikh Hasina's resignation, because the existing constitution has no provisions for an interim government or any other form of government in the event that the prime minister resigns and the parliament is dissolved. Although Article 123 of the constitution mandates general elections within 90 days following the dissolution of parliament, no clear guidelines exist for the powers and structure of an interim government. Following the oath-taking of the interim government, student leader and ICT adviser Nahid Islam announced that a constituent assembly election would be held to draft and adopt a new constitution to resolve the crisis. The interim government also established a Constitutional Reform Commission to prepare a roadmap for the constituent assembly election.

On August 10, 2024, a plenary meeting of the Appellate Division judges was scheduled,^[4][5] a move considered irregular and unconstitutional by many observers, including LDP Secretary-general Redwan Ahmed.^[6] This meeting was perceived as a prelude to issuing a ruling that could undermine the interim government and potentially pave the way for Hasina’s return.^[7]

Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, called for protests to be held at the Supreme Court premise.^[8] Mass protests erupted outside the Supreme Court, with hundreds of students under the banner of Anti-discrimination Students Movement, lawyers, and civil society members demanding Hassan's resignation.^[9] They accused him of attempting to use the judiciary to restore Hasina to power, calling him a "puppet" of the former regime. Asif Mahmud, one of the Adviser to the interim government, criticized Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan for convening a full court meeting of the court's Appellate Division without consulting the government and demanded his resignation. The judges including Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan resigned following the protests.

On 6 August, the Bangladesh Police Service Association initiated a strike, demanding for enhanced security measures for its members. The association expressed regret for the role of the police force in the recent unrest and violence. It stated that its officers were "forced to open fire", subsequently being portrayed as the "villain."^[10] Students and several paramilitary personnel were subsequently seen directing traffic and maintaining law and order functions in Dhaka,^[11] while Bangladesh Air Force personnel were deployed to secure Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.^[12] The newly-appointed Inspector-General of Police, Md. Moinul Islam, issued an order for all officers to report for duty by the evening of 8 August.^[13] On 11 August, retired Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hossain, serving as the adviser for home affairs in the interim government, appealed to police officers to resume their duties at their respective stations. He provided assurances that their grievances would be addressed and their demands fulfilled.^[14] The strike ended on 11 August following a meeting between the association and the interim government.^[15] By 15 August, regular operations at all 639 police stations nationwide had resumed.^[16]

On 7 August, several officials from the Bangladesh Bank initiated a protest near the governor's office. Their objective was to compel the resignation of certain high-ranking officials due to their alleged involvement in corruption.^[17] That same day, one of the bank's deputy governors resigned, with three others expressing their intention to follow suit. On 9 August, the bank's governor, Abdur Rouf Talukder, resigned from his position, citing personal reasons.^[18]

On 9 August, the Bangladesh Hindu Jagran Mancha organized a protest in Dhaka condemning the attacks on Hindus.^[19] The group called for the establishment of a Ministry of Minorities and a Minority Protection Commission, the implementation of strict laws against attacks on minorities, and a 10% quota in parliament for minority groups.^[20] Protests against anti-Hindu attacks were also held in Tangail and Khulna.^[21][22]

On 9 August, thousands of Awami League supporters staged a two-hour blockade on a section of the Dhaka–Khulna highway in Gopalganj, demanding Sheikh Hasina's return.^[23] The next day, an intervention by the army to disperse the protestors escalated into a confrontation. The clash resulted in 15 individuals being injured and an army vehicle being set ablaze.^[24]

On 13 August, the Anti-discrimination Students Movement announced a campaign called Resistance Week, centred around four key demands. These demands included the creation of a special tribunal for the speedy trials of the massacre during the quota reform and non-cooperation movements; justice for the attacks on minorities following Sheikh Hasina's resignation; the removal of government officials who supported the government, opposed the movement and suppressed the activists; and ensuring equality for discriminated officials in government sectors.^[25]

On August 15, protesters occupied the Dhanmondi 32 area of Dhaka to prevent Awami League supporters from marching to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence to commemorate the anniversary of his assassination in 1975, a day designated by the Hasina administration as a National Day of Mourning.^[26] Thirty people were held by protesters on suspicion of association with the Awami League, particularly those who were found to be carrying images of Sheikh Mujibur or other information relating to the Awami League in their possession or on mobile phones.^[27] Protesters were also accused of harassing journalists filming the event following complaints by correspondents from Reuters, The New York Times, and other media outlets.^[28] An Awami League activist was injured in the incident and later succumbed of his injuries on 30 August.^[29]

The BNP also called for a nationwide sit-in on 15 and 16 August, demanding that Sheikh Hasina be put on trial for genocide in connection with the killings of protesters.^[30]

On 25 August 2024, a faction of the Bangladesh Ansar, a paramilitary force responsible for securing government installations and assisting law enforcement, protested at the Bangladesh Secretariat.^[31] They demanded the nationalisation of their jobs and the abolition of the six-month "rest system", a mandatory leave period after three consecutive years of work.^[32][33] Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Home Affairs Advisor of the interim government, met with the protesters, announcing a preliminary decision to abolish the rest system. He also assured them that a forthcoming committee would review their demand for job nationalisation.^[34] Despite this, the Ansar members were dissatisfied due to the lack of immediate guarantees regarding job nationalisation.^[35] Later that day, a clash between Ansar members and a group of students resulted in 50 injuries.^[36] On 26 August, 303 Ansar members were arrested for unlawful assembly,^[37] and nine Deputy Directors and ten Directors of Ansar were transferred from their posts.^[38] The DMP prohibited any rallies, meetings, or demonstrations in the vicinity of the Bangladesh Secretariat and the Chief Adviser's residence.^[39] One person later died of injuries, they sustained after being caught in the clashes on 4 September.^[40]

On 20 September, a protest march was organized by a Jumma students' body, starting from the Raju Sculpture and ending at Shahbag, to protest against the recent violence targeting Jummas in Khagrachhari.^[41]

On 13 August, a murder complaint was filed at a court in Dhaka against Sheikh Hasina and six other government officials, including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former Transport and Bridges Minister and concurrent Awami League secretary-general Obaidul Quader, regarding the killing of a grocer during the protests on 19 July.^[42][43] That same day, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party also submitted a formal request to the United Nations requesting for it to conduct an international investigation into the killings during the protests.^[44] In a phone call with chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on 14 August, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said that such an investigation would come "very soon".^[45]

On 14 August, a petition was filed by the father of a student killed during the protests at the International Crimes Tribunal calling for an investigation on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity against Sheikh Hasina and nine other individuals, including Obaidul Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan over their role in the crackdown on the protests. The Awami League itself and its associated organisations were also named as accused in the petition, which was formally investigated on by the court later that day.^[46] The court began legal proceedings to have Sheikh Hasina extradited on 8 September.^[47] On 15 August, two additional murder charges were filed against Sheikh Hasina and several of her associates over the deaths of two people during the protests.^[48][49] On 16 August, another murder charge was filed against Sheikh Hasina, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury and several others over the death of a college student during the protests in Chittagong on 18 July.^[50]

On 17 August, former shipping minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury was charged over an attack on a student protest on 18 July.^[51]

On 27 August, the interim government dissolved a committee created under Sheikh Hasina's government to investigate the deaths of students during the protests.^[52]

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal, Tajul Islam, said that he had received preliminary evidence of the presence of citizens of other countries in police uniforms during the protest.^[53]