They came in thousands. From students to teachers, guardians with children, lawyers, civil society members, and political activists -- all gathered to join "Droho Jatra" in front of the Jatiya Press Club seeking justice for those killed during the recent violence.

Braving rain and holding placards, they shouted anti-government slogans.

Students chant slogans as they march in a procession at the Science Lab intersection. Photo: Palash Khan, Anisur Rahman

They also announced a mas procession at 3:00pm tomorrow to press home their one-point demand --  resignation of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

At the press club, Prof Anu Muhammad, a former teacher of Jahangirnagar University, addressed a huge gathering.

"...We don't want anything from this government. We must hold the government accountable and ensure justice. Those who were arrested must be freed, and the filing of cases and suppression must stop, and the curfew must be withdrawn."

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Protesters take to the streets across country

"To ensure these, the government must resign. People have to take back the control of the country. Now the main agenda is how to make the democratic transition. People from all walks of life must unite and work to ensure this."

The "Droho Jatra" was called by a group of students and teachers, cultural organisations, and civil society members, demanding an end to mass arrests, justice for the "July massacre", release of arrested students, withdrawal of curfew, reopening of educational institutions, and the resignation of the government.

Earlier around noon, people started thronging the press club area with banners and posters. By 2:00pm, the street was filled to the brim with demonstrators.

Protesters held placards with slogans such as "Step Down Hasina," "Chhatro Hottar Bichar Chai [We demand justice for the killings of students]," and "Bullets May Hit, But We Won't Quit".

Members of cultural organisations, including Udichi Shilpi Goshti and Charon Sangskritik Kendra, and several cultural personalities recited poems, sang songs, and staged street dramas expressing solidarity with the protest.

After offering Juma prayers at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, several hundred people joined "Droho Jatra". Before that, they paraded through different streets.

The protesters then marched towards the Central Shaheed Minar.

Around 3:40pm near the Kodom Foara, a group of protesters painted the windshield of an armoured police vehicle red. They also wrote "Khuni [killer]" on the vehicle.

At 3:42pm, a group of protesters staged a sit-in on the street and showed police posters with slogans like "Khuni [killer] Police", and "Dalal [subservient] Police".

At Shaheed Minar, more people joined the protesters.

Twelve-year-old Probha Mitra came with her brother and parents.

"I am here to express my solidarity, we don't want any more discrimination," Probha told The Daily Star.

Trader Abu Taleb and his tenth-grader daughter, Nowshin Tabassum, came all the way from Keraniganj to join the protests.

Abu Taleb said, "More than 200 people, including students, were killed. We want justice for them. My daughter could have been killed. I joined the protest so that no such incidents [killings] take place in future. The government must take responsibility for the killings and resign immediately."

At the end of the programme, Rageeb Nayeem, president of a section of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, announced tomorrow's mass procession.