The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has announced three core demands and a set of action programmes, including the unconditional release of Mahdi Hasan, Secretary of the Habiganj District branch, and ‘July Veteran’ Tahreema Jannat Suravi. The announcement was made at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at the Madhur Canteen of Dhaka University by the organisation’s president, Rifat Rashid.
The movement’s demands call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mahdi Hasan and Suravi, alongside the formation of an investigative committee to take disciplinary action against police and administrative officials, including Omar Faruk, implicated in harassment. Additionally, the movement demands that all participants in the July popular uprising—students, workers, and citizens—be granted full indemnity for their activities between 1 July and 8 August, with an executive order issued by the President within 24 hours.
The organisation also emphasised recognising and recording the contributions of military, naval, air force, and civilian officers who played significant roles in the July movement. It seeks permanent protection measures for these personnel, a commission to prevent workplace harassment, and rapid promotion for officers in the armed forces who have been denied advancement since 25 February 2009 due to authoritarian suppression.
The three declared action programmes are summarised in the table below:
| No. | Programme | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compilation of Accountability List | Prepare a comprehensive list of police superintendents, station officers, and commanding officers responsible for stations under which students and citizens were killed during the July uprising. The movement intends to submit this list to the ICT Tribunal to initiate legal proceedings. |
| 2 | Presidential Indemnity Ordinance | Engage with the President’s legal advisors and home affairs counsellors to ensure the issuance of an indemnity ordinance protecting participants in the uprising. |
| 3 | Electoral Engagement for Security | Meet leaders of the country’s two largest political alliances to secure a clear commitment in their election manifestos to uphold the July revolutionary spirit and ensure the safety of July activists. |
Speaking at the press conference, Mahdi Hasan said, “While the rest of Bangladesh was celebrating Victory Day, nine people were shot dead in my district, Habiganj. Filing of cases there has become a business. I was arrested simply for speaking out against these injustices. The word ‘we’ I used referred to all participants in the movement, not just myself.”
Tahreema Jannat Suravi recounted the ordeal she endured: “The same police who used to call me ‘Apu’ subjected me to indescribable abuse. My mother went from door to door pleading for my release. I was detained for eleven days and remanded twice. I am not affiliated with any political party and participated purely for the country. Even after contributing so much, I was denied contact with my family. I now seek full release from this case.”
The press conference highlighted the movement’s ongoing commitment to pursuing justice for the victims of July, documenting administrative misconduct, and ensuring the protection of all participants in Bangladesh’s pro-democracy struggle.