Classes resume at Bangladesh university at heart of anti-Hasina protests

Dhaka University is afloat again, weeks aft authorities shuttered the field pursuing deadly antigovernment demonstrations.

Students person returned to classes astatine Bangladesh’s Dhaka University, aft a weeks-long shutdown sparked by a student-led uprising that toppled erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Tens of thousands had demonstrated connected the field and successful the surrounding Shahbagh neighbourhood arsenic protests against occupation quotas morphed into a nationwide struggle to extremity Hasina’s 15 years of iron-fisted rule.

As the protests swelled successful July, authorities shuttered the field arsenic portion of a crackdown connected the demonstrations that killed hundreds.

Enrolled astatine the assemblage were respective of the apical pupil protestation leaders, immoderate of whom were snatched by plainclothes constabulary and held successful custody for respective days.

On Sunday, the lecture halls were afloat again, with students chatting successful groups on tree-covered walkways and buying drinks and snacks astatine canteens.

Classes had started again successful each but 4 oregon 5 departments, adjunct proctor Mohammad Mahbub Quaisar, who was appointed aft erstwhile administrators loyal to Hasina resigned, told the AFP quality agency.

“Students are attending successful a joyous mood,” helium said.

Hasina’s authorities was accused of wide abuses, including the wide detention and extrajudicial sidesplitting of governmental rivals.

More than 600 radical were killed successful the weeks starring up to Hasina’s removal successful aboriginal August, according to a preliminary United Nations study that said the toll was “likely an underestimate”.

Since her departure for exile successful neighbouring India, furniture ministers and different elder members of Hasina’s enactment person been arrested, and her government’s appointees person been purged from courts and the cardinal bank.

In the leafy streets of the Shahbagh neighbourhood, colourful caller murals exhort the nationalist to “destroy the robust doors of prison” and observe Bangladesh’s “rebirth”.

“It was similar we were successful an oppressive epoch erstwhile we could not accidental anything,” said master’s grade pupil Kalimulla Al Kafi, 25, of the crackdown ordered by Hasina.

“Today it feels similar I americium attending classes with freedom,” helium said. “We tin explicit ourselves freely.”