DHAKA: Shamim Ahmed, (leader of Hasina’s Awami League student wing) enrolled at Jahangirnagar University, was beaten to death in the campus here on Wednesday (18th Sept, 2024) night for leading an attack on student demonstrators at the campus in mid-July.

Gravely injured Shamim Ahmed was taken to Gonoshasthaya Hospital hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His confrère Abdullah Al-Masud was also beaten by a mob to death on 8th Sept, in Rajshahi.

Forced by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD)’s protests, that claimed 413 lives, 76-year-old Sheikh Hasina called it a day on 5th August, 2024 and resigned from the post of PM before fleeing to India by means of an Army Helicopter.

For 15 years Sheikh Hasina remained perched at the pinnacle (cosily basking under the sunshine of the goodwill of her father since 2009). During her tenure she dealt her opponents with an iron hand.

Bangladesh, under her leadership Sheikh transformed its economy and its per capita income is today better than that of India. Yet an enormous number of youngsters are sans employment.

It may be recalled that students took to the streets to protest against reintroduction of civil-service job quota scheme.

That reserved more than half of all government jobs for groups including children and grandchildren of the 1971 war ‘heroes’. When 91 protesters died during the agitation, the SCB abolished most of the quota.

But students went back to streets demanding justice for those who were killed during the manifestations.

Despite imposition of curfew, they called for Civil Disobedience till the PM resigned. These developments show the determination of Bangladeshi students to get their rights even if it means giving the ultimate sacrifice.