Dhaka: Nahid Islam, a prominent figure in the anti-discrimination student movement, issued an urgent four-point demand with a 48-hour ultimatum amid a mass arrest operation by law enforcement agencies.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nahid's announcement included a temporary suspension of their "complete shutdown" program. The demands centered on restoring internet access nationwide, lifting the curfew, removing law enforcement from educational institutions, reopening residential halls to ensure a safe academic environment, and guaranteeing the safety of quota reform movement coordinators.
The mass arrests targeted BNP and Jamaat leaders and activists, accused of involvement in violence and vandalism during the quota reform protests. A Dhaka-based Bangla daily, Prothom Alo, reported that 1,200 individuals, including political leaders and activists, were arrested by police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as of the morning of July 23, with total arrests exceeding 2,000 since July 17.
The Daily Star, another leading English daily, noted that on July 22 alone, 1,427 people were arrested nationwide, including 692 from the capital. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted block raids to apprehend demonstrators, and six injured individuals died on that day.
Another English daily, New Age, reported that Dhaka Medical College Hospital handed over 70 bodies between July 19 and 22, with the death toll reaching at least 155. Despite the ongoing curfew, no violence was reported in the capital for the third consecutive day, though extensive law enforcement presence remained.
Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman visited several areas in the city, asserting that normalcy would soon return. The then IGP, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, assured accountability for those involved in criminal activities, and the home minister announced the continuation of the curfew with limited relaxation for stability.
The government extended the general holiday and maintained the suspension of internet services. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed a summary for reforming the government job quota system and condemned BNP and Jamaat for the violence. The University Teachers' Network also urged the government to lift the curfew and restore internet services, demanding an end to the killings and disappearances linked to the movement.