Students of Dhaka University sang the national anthem at the base of the Raju Bhashkorjo (Raju Memorial Sculpture) on Monday evening protesting an incident in Shahbagh where an attempt to perform the anthem was reportedly obstructed on Sunday.
The protest, organised under the banner of general students, took place around 7pm.
Witnesses said the students rallied in response to a recent incident where a group was allegedly heckled while singing the national anthem during a political demonstration at Shahbagh.
Zia Rahman, a student of the university, said, “We’ve seen various groups like Chhatra Dal sing in unison. But when a group recently tried to perform the national anthem at Shahbagh, others shouted ‘fake, fake’ to dishonor it. We are here today to protest that insult by singing the anthem together.”
Prior to the singing, students chanted slogans such as ‘Salute to the martyrs of '71,’ ‘Salute to the martyrs of '24,’ ‘Who are you, who am I? We are all Bangladeshis,’ ‘No place for collaborators in my golden Bengal,’ and ‘Beware, agents of Pakistan!’.
The protest was a direct reaction to several viral videos circulating on social media since May 10, showing some being interrupted while singing the national anthem during a blockade at Shahbagh, part of a demonstration demanding a ban on the Awami League among other demands.