'We must protect country as state assets belong to people': Coordinators
They will announce the next steps of their movement at 8pm today
Coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement have said all protesters must work toward protecting the country and refrain from any violence.
"We have to protect this country. All of this state's assets and properties belong to the people," one of the coordinators Nahid Islam said in a live interview to private televeision Channel24 this evening.
Asked about recent unrest and vandalism happening all around the country involving clashes with protesters, he said, "We urge the protesters to refrain from any violence, attacks, looting and vandalism.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"We urge them to take positions in Dhaka roads in a peaceful manner until we receive the final announcement regarding the new government."
Meanwhile, speaking about their next steps, Asif Mahmud, another coordinator of the protest, said, "We will hold a press conference at Karwan Bazar intersection at 8:00pm where we will present our roadmap.
"Political and civil society representatives, our teachers, and the leadership of the student-public will present the roadmap of [forming an interim] government through coordination and that roadmap will have to be implemented.
"The will of the main stakeholders of this student-public uprising will be reflected in it."
Their interview came after Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said today that an interim government would be formed.
Speaking in the interview, Nahid Islam said, "Our one-point demand was the fall of Sheikh Hasina government and the abolishment of the fascist system. Sheikh Hasina has resigned but the fascist state system is still in place. Our final victory will be achieved through the abolishment of the fascist system."
Speaking about the Army Chief's announcement on the interim government, he said "Under the leadership of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, student-people from all across Bangladesh united together and resulted in this mass uprising.
"An interim government will be formed under the leadership of student-citizens through discussion with representatives of all sects of citizens, and political leaderships. We will soon make an announcement to the nation soon.
"We are thinking of forming a national interim government with the participation of the representatives of all of us who led the protests and participated in it, civil society and political leadership after discussions.
"However, anyone who was with the fascist governance or supported them will not be a part of the government."
Meanwhile, Asif said, "We were sure of our victory when we first announced our one-point demand. We are assured of making our partial victory into a total victory.
"The student-public will be on the streets in Dhaka till that is achieved. The movement will continue till then. As Nahid bhai said, we will present a roadmap to form an interim government."
At the same time, every death and other atrocity will be investigated, he said in a press briefing this afternoon.
Zaman said Sheikh Hasina has resigned from her position and thus an interim government will be formed.
Earlier on 3 August, protesters declared their one point demand calling for the resignation of the current government.
At the same time, they also demanded the formation of a new national government.
