Protesters take to Bangladesh’s streets again

July 30, 2024

DHAKA – Quota reform protesters yesterday staged demonstrations across the country, including in Dhaka and Chattogram cities, but law enforcers dispersed them at many places and detained at least 80.

Ruling party men also obstructed them from holding demonstrations in some places.

Students from different universities and colleges held the demonstrations to protest the “detention of six coordinators of the quota reform protest by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and forcing them to issue a statement on ending protests”.

In Chattogram, police detained at least 10 students after breaking up a protest by some 100 students in Jamal Khan area yesterday afternoon.

Witnesses said university and college students gathered at Cheragi intersection around 3:00pm to hold a rally. A large number of police, BGB, APBn, and army personnel were deployed in the area.

Tension rose when 100-150 leaders and activists of the Jubo League and Chhatra League, led by Chattogram City Corporation ward-21 Councillor Saibal Das Sumon, reached the area and verbally abused the protesters.

University teachers gathered at the Aparajeyo Bangla in DU, during the Anti-Repression Teachers Rally organised by the University Teachers Network, where they called for an immediate end to the harassment and mass arrests of students. PHOTO: THE DAILY STAR

At one stage, the Jubo League and Chhatra League men beat up two students and handed them over to police, who got them on to a prison van.

As some students attempted to free the detainees, police used truncheons.

Protesters then gathered near the Kadam Mubarak mosque and chanted slogans.

Around 4:00pm, police fired stun grenades and teargas canisters at them. Three cops and a journalist, videographer Abu Jabed of News 24 TV, were injured in the incident.

Another group of protesters threw brick chunks at police near Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid around 5:00pm, prompting law enforcers to fire rubber bullets and teargas at them.

Mostafizur Rahman, deputy commissioner (south) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, said police took action as all gatherings and protests are banned during the pause in curfew.

In the capital, law enforcers yesterday detained at least 70 people from different areas.

Police stationed near the capital’s National Press Club to avert protesters, who had announced holding a programme there yesterday afternoon. PHOTO: THE DAILY STAR

Abdul Kader, a coordinator of the quota reform protest, on Sunday night announced on social media that they would stage demonstrations in eight locations in the capital — Science Lab, Gate-8 of North South University, Jatiya Press Club, BNS Centre in Uttara, Mirpur-10, ECB Chattar in Mirpur, Rampura, and Mohakhali.

Witnesses said several hundred protesters gathered near the ECB Chattar around noon. Police chased them around 1:00pm when they started chanting slogans.

Law enforcers detained at least 18 demonstrators there.

Police detained at least 10 protesters from Mirpur-10 intersection, 10 from in front of Star Kabab in Dhanmondi, two from Purana Paltan, six from Badda, and 10 from Uttara.

Seeking anonymity, two security staffers of a private university in Bashundhara Residential Area said, “Students were standing in front of gates 1, 2 and 5 of the university since 10:00am. Police detained at least 15 of them and got them on to three police vans until 1:30pm.”

Students at Jahangirnagar University held a protest demanding unconditional release of the coordinators of the quota reform protest and the other detainees.

Several JU teachers expressed solidarity with the protesters.

Students disperse as sound grenades were lobbed at them by cops at the Cheragi Pahar Mor in the port city. The protesters had gathered there to press for their nine-point demand yesterday afternoon. PHOTO: THE DAILY STAR

In Rajshahi, several hundred students of Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway from 12:20pm to 1:00pm protesting the detention of the six coordinators of the quota reform movement.

They chanted slogans demanding justice for the deaths of the fellow students and those responsible for the deaths be held accountable.

At Barishal University, Chhatra League activists allegedly attacked protesters near the university’s administrative building around 2:00pm, leaving at least 15 students injured.

Sujoy Subho, one of the injured, said some 40-50 Chhatra League men, armed with sticks, attacked students when they were discussing their next course of action.

Students of Government Brojomohun (BM) College held a protest in Barisal city’s Nathullabad Central Bus Terminal area.

In Noakhali, students blocked the Dhaka-Noakhali highway in front of Noakhali Zilla School from 2:00pm for three hours.

In Thakurgaon, over 200 students took out a procession with black flags demanding justice for the recent killings of students.

In Mymensingh, police broke up a demonstration by students in the city’s Firoz-Jahangir Chattar in the afternoon.

In Cumilla, pro-Awami League men, armed with sticks and iron rods, obstructed around 60 Comilla University students from moving towards the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

The students later staged demonstrations in front of the university around 3:00pm.

In Sylhet, a group of students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology staged a protest at the main entrance to the university at 3:00pm. They later took out a procession.

Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi, a cultural platform, could not hold a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday afternoon as the area was cordoned off by law enforcers.

Meanwhile, some coordinators of the quota reform protest yesterday rejected the government’s call for nationwide mourning today for those killed in the recent violence.

They urged the students of all educational institutions and the general people to cover their face with red clothes and upload their photos online today instead.

The coordinators made the call in a press release, signed by Mahin Sarker, a coordinator of the Anti-discriminatory Student Movement. Copies of the release were sent to the media around 9:30pm.

“We would like to tell the government that no movement in the history of Bengal could be suppressed by firing at students. Immediately accept our nine-point demand and bring stability to the country,” said the statement.

Their demands include an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and resignations of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhoury, Law Minister Anisul Huq, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, and State Minister for Post, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

As per the Saturday’s decision by the government, the ongoing curfew in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi will be relaxed from 7:00am to 6:00pm today.