Protesters in Bangladesh have taken to the streets to demand justice for more than 200 people killed by the government in student protests last month.
Saturday’s protests escalated as student leaders called for a nationwide civil war until Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government resigns.
The Students Against Racism group, which was responsible for the initial strike, had earlier in the day rejected a request to speak to Hasina.
“He must go back and be put on trial,” its leader, Nahid Islam, told thousands of people at the National Heroes Memorial in the city of Dhaka, noting that the student movement had “transformed into a civil movement” and that people from all walks of life had joined Saturday’s protests calling for the government to resign.
There were also clashes between protesters and police in the outskirts of the city, Gazipur and Comilla, he added.
Hasina called on opposition leaders to meet at her residence, Ghana Bhaban, on Saturday, saying "the door is open."
"I want to sit with student athletes and listen to them. I don't want to have arguments," she said, according to local media.
Chaudhry announced that the prime minister had also appointed three senior officials to meet with the opposition.
The protests began after Bangladesh’s Supreme Court overturned the quota system that reserved more than half of government jobs for certain groups.
About 18 million young Bangladeshis are unemployed, according to government figures, a measure that leaves the educated population disconnected from serious unemployment.
The protests were peaceful until police and government student groups attacked the protesters.
Hasina’s government eventually imposed a nationwide curfew, sent in the army and shut down the country’s mobile internet for 11 days to restore order.
Prime Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters that the Security Forces were being restrained but were “ready to open fire” to protect government buildings.
The government is facing a growing backlash over police killings that have left at least 200 people dead, including 32 children, and hundreds more injured by pellet guns.
UN experts have called for an immediate end to violence against protesters and accountability for human rights violations.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Walker Turk, today called on the government to release full details of the counter-insurgency operation and provide details of those killed, injured or imprisoned for the benefit of their families.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell also called for an international investigation into "excessive force and violence against protesters".
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