The US embassy in Dhaka has issued a security alert for American citizens in the country after “reports indicate a peaceful ‘sit in’ may occur”. Bangladesh is currently on a Level 4 travel advisory of ‘Do Not Travel’.
The authority said that the protest will take place at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park in the Gulshan 2 neighbourhood of Dhaka at 3pm (Bangladesh time) today.
“Calls for protests, demonstrations, marches and gatherings continue to occur and can often materialise quickly,” it said.
“If feeling unsafe, US citizens should consider returning to the United States”, it added.
The authority asked US citizens to “practice vigilance and avoid demonstrations and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large gatherings”.
Student leaders rallied Bangladeshis on Saturday for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government weathered a worsening backlash over a deadly police crackdown on protesters.
Rallies against civil service job quotas sparked days of mayhem last month that killed more than 200 people in some of the worst unrest of Hasina’s 15-year tenure.
Troop deployments briefly restored order but crowds hit the streets in huge numbers after Friday prayers in the nation, heeding a call by student leaders to press the government for more concessions.
Students Against Discrimination, the group responsible for organising the initial protests, urged their compatriots to launch an all-out non-cooperation movement from Sunday.
“This includes non-payment of taxes and utility bills, strikes by government workers and a halt to overseas remittance payments through banks,” the group’s Asif Mahmud told AFP.
Students are demanding a public apology from Hasina for last month’s violence and the dismissal of several of her ministers.