Non-cooperation movement (2024)
The non-cooperation movement, also known as the one-point movement, was a disinvestment movement and a mass uprising against the Awami League-led government of Bangladesh, initiated within the framework of 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement. The sole demand of this movement was the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet. It was the final stage of the wider movement known as the July Revolution.
Although the movement was initially limited to the goal of reforming quotas in government jobs, it snowballed into a mass anti-government uprising after the mass killings against civilians. The movement was also fueled by ongoing socio-economic and political issues, including the government's mismanagement of the national economy, rampant corruption by government officials, human rights violations, allegations of undermining the country's sovereignty by Sheikh Hasina, and increasing authoritarianism and democratic backsliding.
On 3 August 2024, coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination announced a one-point demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister and her cabinet and called for "comprehensive non-cooperation". The following day, violent clashes broke out, resulting in the deaths of 97 people, including students. The coordinators called for a long march to Dhaka to force Hasina out of power on 5 August. That day, a large crowd of protesters made its way through the capital. At around 3:00 p.m., Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, her government's biggest ally. Widespread celebrations and violence occurred following her removal, while the military and President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the formation of an Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Meanwhile, Indian media outlets were seen engaging in a widespread disinformation campaign aimed at destabilising Bangladesh, following Hasina's resignation and departure to India.
Background
During the quota reform movement in 2024, participants—particularly students—faced resistance, mass arrests, and massacre and severe injuries at the hands of police and other security forces. Six coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination, who were leading the initial quota reform movement, were also detained and were forcefully made to announce the conclusion of the protests by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. These events and authoritarianism fuelled people's anger against the government. On the morning of 3 August, one of the movement coordinators, Asif Mahmud, stated in a Facebook post that they would start a "non-cooperation movement" against the government, saying that it would be similar to that of "Non-cooperation movement ". In the afternoon, Prime Minister Hasina proposed talks with the protesters, saying that "The doors of Ganabhaban are open".The Students Against Discrimination previously called for day-long protest programmes on 3 August. After day-long protests, students and ordinary people gathered at the central Shaheed Minar, Dhaka area with protest marches from different parts of Dhaka. At around 5:30 p.m., Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators, addressed the assembled crowd at Shaheed Minar and announced that the movement's exclusive demand was the resignation of Hasina and her cabinet. He also called for a comprehensive non-cooperation movement starting from 4 August and announced that they had no plans to negotiate with the government. He added that "we were forcefully offered to sit in talks with the Prime Minister. But we protested against this proposal by going on a hunger strike in DB custody."
Activities
Directions of non-cooperation were outlined by the Students Against Discrimination coordinators on 3 August:- No taxes or duties will be paid.
- No bills, including electricity, gas, and water bills, will be paid.
- All government and private institutions, offices, courts, and mills will remain closed; no one will go to work.
- All educational institutions will remain closed.
- Expatriates will not send remittance through banking channels.
- All government meetings, seminars, and events will be boycotted.
- Port workers will not attend work; no product will be processed.
- All factories will remain closed; garment workers will not go to work.
- Mass transportation will remain closed.
- Banks will be open every Sunday only for urgent personal transactions.
- Police will not perform protocol duty, riot duty, or any special duty other than routine duty. Only station police will perform routine work.
- All offshore transactions will be halted to prevent any money from being smuggled out.
- Forces other than the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Navy will not perform duty outside the cantonment. The BGB and the Navy will remain in barracks and coastal areas.
- Bureaucrats will not go to the secretariat, and district commissioners or Upazila Nirbahi Officers will not go to their respective offices.
- Luxury stores, showrooms, shops, hotels, and restaurants will remain closed. However, hospitals, pharmacies, medicine and medical equipment transportation services, ambulance services, fire services, mass media, transportation of daily necessities, emergency internet services, emergency relief assistance, and transportation services for officials and employees in these sectors will continue. Grocery stores will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
History
At least 97 people died nationwide in confrontations, shootings, and pursuits related to the Non-cooperation movement. Fourteen police officers were killed across the country, with 13 deaths occurring at the Enayetpur police station in Sirajganj. Another officer was killed in Eliotganj, Comilla. Twenty-seven police facilities were attacked and vandalized, and a hundred policemen were injured in these incidents, according to an official statement by the Bangladesh Police.
In Dhaka, unidentified individuals set fire to and damaged various vehicles, including cars, ambulances, motorcycles, and buses, at the Bangladesh Medical University during the protests. Around 4.30 p.m., eleventh-grade student Golam Nafiz was shot by the police in Dhaka Farmgate area, whose photo of being taken to the hospital on rickshaw went viral on internet, creating high outrage by netizens. By 12:00 p.m., users across the country reported internet inaccessibility. The government ordered the closure of Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and all other Meta-owned services, directing internet service providers to comply after 1:00 p.m. Later, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad A. Arafat confirmed that some social media platforms were temporarily blocked to prevent the spread of rumors amid protests. An indefinite nationwide curfew was imposed starting at 6:00 p.m. Additionally, all courts were also ordered to close indefinitely.
The government declared a three-day general holiday starting from 5 August, during which banks will also remain closed. The Students Against Discrimination have confirmed their intention to march towards Dhaka on 6 August to demand the Prime Minister's resignation. The Bangladesh University Teachers' Network proposed a framework for an interim government, suggesting it be composed of teachers, judges, lawyers, and representatives from civil society, reflecting the views of various civil and political groups for a democratic transition.
Long March to Dhaka
Asif Mahmud, a coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, announced that their march to Dhaka had been rescheduled to 5 August, instead of 6 August. He called on protesters and civilians nationwide to march toward the capital and participate in civil disobedience.Several former Bangladesh Army officers, including former chief of staff Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, held a press briefing urging soldiers to return to camps and refrain from getting involved in the political crisis or being used against civilians.
Retired Brig. Gen. M. Sakhawat Hossain stated that there was significant unease among the troops, which likely pressured the chief of army staff as soldiers were deployed and witnessing the events. Retired officers, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Shahedul Anam Khan, defied the curfew on Monday and took to the streets, with Khan noting that the army did not intervene. In response to calls for a march to Dhaka, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman warned of zero tolerance, stating that legal action would be taken against curfew violators.
The Students Against Discrimination rejected the curfew and encouraged everyone to march towards the Ganabhaban and Prime minister's office.
Reports indicated Sheikh Hasina had been moved to a secure location. On the same day, up to 135 people, including 24 police officers, were killed during protests.
Same day, at around 3:00 p.m., Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India. Widespread celebrations and violence occurred following her removal, while the military and President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the formation of an Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.