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admin 5 Aug 2026 , 1:41 PM Print Edition
Online Desk : Chattogram erupted in celebrations on the afternoon of August 5, 2024, after news spread that then prime minister Sheikh Hasina had resigned and left the country, transforming the city’s tense atmosphere into one of jubilation.
At around 2:30 pm, as reports of Hasina’s departure circulated, hundreds of thousands of students and people from all walks of life poured onto the streets. Waving national flags and chanting victory slogans, they celebrated what they described as the end of authoritarian rule.
People came out of their homes, workplaces and businesses in large numbers, while sweets were distributed at intersections across the port city. Strangers embraced one another, and many were seen shedding tears of joy.
The city had remained tense throughout the morning over the “March to Dhaka” programme announced by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. However, within hours of the announcement, the atmosphere shifted dramatically as spontaneous victory processions swept across Chattogram.
Students from various educational institutions joined employees, business owners, labourers, rickshaw pullers, parents and people from different professions in the celebrations. From afternoon until late at night, major roads across the city remained packed with crowds.
Following the reports of Hasina’s departure, police personnel from several police stations withdrew from their posts, citing security concerns. In many places, local residents and participants in the movement helped police leave safely. However, in some areas, angry crowds attacked members of the police force.
During the July Mass Uprising, the New Market intersection had been one of the main centres of protests and clashes. The area remained relatively quiet until noon on August 5.
After confirmation of the government’s fall, thousands of people gathered at New Market Square from surrounding roads and neighbourhoods. Men and women carrying national flags celebrated together, while many embraced each other in remembrance of those who had lost their lives during the movement.
Large crowds also assembled at the Kazir Deuri intersection following the announcement. According to local accounts, people from all sections of society celebrated what they described as the fall of the authoritarian government.
Witnesses said a police unit retreated towards the Circuit House after being chased by protesters, with some officers reportedly removing their uniforms while leaving the area.
Doctors, journalists, engineers and professionals from different fields joined the celebrations, while Awami League leaders and activists were seen leaving the area.
Bahaddarhat, one of the areas that had witnessed some of the fiercest violence during the movement, also became a major gathering point.
Long victory processions moved through Bahaddarhat, GEC, Lalkhan Bazar and the WASA intersection. Rickshaws, motorcycles and trucks carrying people waving red-and-green national flags filled the streets as slogans celebrating the end of what participants called dictatorship echoed throughout the city.
At Bora Pol, thousands of people gathered until around 4 pm. Crowds watched as the statue of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was demolished using excavators, with many recording the scene on their mobile phones.
As the afternoon progressed, protesters also set fire to statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, portraits of Sheikh Hasina and banners, billboards, offices and establishments associated with the Awami League in different parts of the city.
Touhidul Islam, a student of Chattogram University, said the celebrations quickly gave way to a sense of responsibility.
“The joy following the news of fascist Hasina’s departure came naturally. But later we realised that maintaining order was everyone’s responsibility. So I joined my classmates in managing traffic, while some of us helped provide security for places of worship,” he said.
He alleged that organised criminal groups took advantage of the absence of police to attack, vandalise and loot several police stations.
Businessman Mohammad Abdul Quader of Agrabad said he had never witnessed such a day before.
“Everyone waited anxiously until noon. When the news came in the afternoon, people flooded the streets in celebration,” he said.
He added that behind the celebrations lay the grief of countless families who had lost loved ones during the movement.
“From the WASA intersection to CRB, Sholashahar and the Chattogram University campus, every corner carried the memories of martyrs. Alongside the joy of victory was the sorrow for those who sacrificed their lives, including Wasim, Hridoy and Shanto. The afternoon of August 5 marked the beginning of a new chapter for Chattogram and inspired hopes for a new Bangladesh free from discrimination,” he said.
Sadman Karim, a student of Chattogram Mohsin College and an activist of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said students returned to the streets the following day to help restore normalcy.
He said that from the morning of August 6, students managed traffic at key intersections, including GEC, Tiger Pass, Agrabad, Muradpur and OR Nizam Road, while also working as volunteers to assist the general public.
