The question of discussion does not arise: Coordinator Asif Mahmud

Amid the escalating anti-discrimination student movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for dialogue with the protesting students to restore normalcy in the country. However, the coordinators of the movement have firmly rejected the offer, stating there is no question of negotiating with the government.

Asif Mahmud, one of the coordinators, expressed the group's stance in a Facebook post on Saturday, stating, "We are not willing to sit in any kind of dialogue with the government." Similarly, another coordinator, Nahid Islam, emphasized their position, revealing that they had even gone on a hunger strike while in DB (Detective Branch) custody to protest an earlier offer for talks with the Prime Minister.

Despite the rejection, the Awami League has formed a three-member committee to engage with the movement's coordinators. The committee includes Awami League Presidium Member Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, and Agriculturalist AFM Bahauddin Nashim. This decision was made during an emergency meeting at Ganabhaban on Friday night.

In the capital, the protestors continued their demonstrations at the Science Lab area, gathering shortly after noon on Saturday. The protestors were seen chanting various slogans, maintaining their defiant stance against the government.

The anti-discrimination student movement had previously announced a series of new programs. On Saturday, they organized nationwide protests and declared a "total non-cooperation program" starting Sunday. Abdul Hannan Masud, another coordinator, announced these plans in a video message on Friday.

The ongoing movement has gained significant momentum, with student leaders and their supporters remaining steadfast in their demands for justice and reform, while rejecting any form of negotiation with the current administration.