The movement organised by school students against transporters, which was bolstered by the advent of more students of private and public universities, has acquired a new dimension, with police personnel and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists allegedly swooping down together on peaceful protesters and journalists.

In addition, the transport strike, apparently called to deter the ongoing movement for safe roads, continued for the third day, causing the suffering of both intercity and intra-city commuters to worsen.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said no-one would be spared if the situation spins out of control, indicating that the government may take firm action following the week-long students’ protests.

Attacks on students

Police fired teargas shells to disperse students yesterday (Sunday) at Jhigatola area of Dhanmondi as they continued their protests, demanding safe roads. Activists of the ruling party’s students’ wing, the BCL, attacked protesters in Dhanmondi-1.

At least four students of Dhaka University (DU) were seriously injured in an attack carried out by a group of unidentified youths wearing helmets. In a separate development, unidentified men wearing motorcycle helmets attacked reporters on duty with sticks and sharp weapons.

Our DU correspondent reported that eight students have been admitted to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). Most of the students involved in the protests were from DU, on their way to Jhigatola to express solidarity with the student protesters beaten up earlier.

The students also claimed that more than 100 students were injured in the attack by BCL workers and policemen. The students alleged that the attackers were leaders and activists

of the BCL and Jubo League. At least 30 people were injured in the clashes, reports our DU correspondent. Some were taken to the nearby Popular Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said the movement for safe roads suddenly acquired momentum at 11am yesterday (Sunday), when hundreds of students of the DU and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) converged on the Shahbagh area in the capital along with school and college students. Students held protests at the Shahbagh area and left for the Jhigatola area through the Science Laboratory area.

They tried to visit the political office of the Awami League (AL) president at Dhanmondi 3/A Road, ignoring requests by the police. When the police stopped them, a section of the students went to the Science Laboratory. However, the police fired several rounds of teargas when the students tried to move towards the AL office. As the general students were being dispersed, miscreants attacked them in Dhanmondi Lake area with sticks and machetes. The locality turned into a battleground. Students alleged the attackers were BCL and Jubo League leaders and activists.

At least four students, all reportedly from DU, were seriously injured by miscreants and hospitalised.

Meanwhile, after the students withdrew from the scene, BCL leaders and workers were seen at the Pilkhana gate area with a motorcycle procession. The situation was brought under control after the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) began to maintain vigil at Pilkhana-Jhigatola.

Miscreants beat up photojournalist AM Ahad and smashed his camera. They chased away reporters and vandalised a Nagorik Television vehicle. Though police were present at the time, they did not thwart these miscreants. Police official Maruf said the miscreants did not attack the police, adding: “We don’t know who they were.”

Hundreds of students of different universities, including South East, Prime Asia and Northern universities, also blocked the Banani intersection, halting traffic on the busy road. In Mirpur 10, police barred a procession of the protesters and did not allow any crowd to gather at the intersection and other nearby places, reports our staff correspondent. Some 200 students gathered at Mirpur 2 and moved in a procession towards Mirpur-10 around 12:15pm, chanting the slogan: “We want justice”. They were barred by the law enforcement personnel. In Tejgaon, several hundred students of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) and South East University blocked the Tejgaon–Bijoy Saroni link road for over four hours.

A group of miscreants attacked students of the University of Asia Pacific who had taken up positions on the road opposite to Green Super Market.

AL supporters occupied the streets at various locations in and around Dhaka to protest the infiltration of agitators from outside.

Students from State University, Imperial College and Khilgaon Women’s School and College were near Rampura Bridge at that time. Policemen then took up positions on Rampura Bridge and brought the situation under control.

Transport strike

The country’s transport system was paralysed as transporters persisted with their undeclared strike.

Commuters suffered immensely as no bus was plying in capital. No bus was seen to enter the capital from other districts.

People were seen availing risky vehicles like pickups. CNG-run and machine-run rickshaws charged double fares. With the 3G and 4G networks virtually down, the ride-sharing app service, too, almost broke down.  

Again, transport workers in Chittagong yesterday (Sunday) blocked the Dhaka–Chittagong highway for two hours and attacked drivers plying vehicles following the recent suspension of the plying of public transport by bus owners and workers in different districts.

Home minister

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said law enforcement agencies and security forces have shown patience but that does not mean that they will tolerate anarchy. “We also have a limit. We will take action if that limit is exceeded.”

The home minister made the statement while launching a nationwide ‘Traffic Week’ in Gulistan on Sunday. ‘Traffic Week’ was announced after students calling for safer roads took to the streets and began to check the licences and other papers of cars and drivers. The minister called on the students to return home.

He also mentioned an alleged audio recording of BNP’s Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and a video by actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed.

Dhaka University

A press briefing was held at TSC around 4:30pm. Teachers Against Reparation demanded shipping minister Shajahan Khan’s resignation, saying that students did not believe in the government right now.

Around 5:40pm, some students of Dhaka University under the banner of Students Against Reparation took out a protest procession on the campus and gathered on the premises in front of Raju Sculpture.

After some time, BCL leaders and activists arrived on motorcycles led by their central president and central secretary. They attacked the protesters, leaving one student injured. They also beat up two students filming the attack. But Golam Rabbani, the BCL central secretary, could not be contacted.

Countrywide demonstrations

The agitating students continued their demonstrations in different parts of the country yesterday (Sunday), demanding safe roads and expressed their solidarity with the movement in Dhaka.

The transport workers, on the other hand, also persisted with the transport strike throughout the country yesterday. No district and long-route bus left the divisional and district headquarters for the capital.

Leaders and activists of the BCL were seen on the streets of Chattogram yesterday (Sunday) from 10am to 1pm, but the agitating students, as part of their movement for safe roads, could hardly be seen on the streets, our Chattogram correspondent reports.

BCL leaders and activists were seen at the streets waiting with the police at Gate No. 2, GEC circle and WASA circle. At this time, the BCL handed over five youths to the police, suspecting them to be Shibir activists.

Shah Md Abdur Rouf, deputy commissioner of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), said no student was seen on the streets yesterday (Sunday). He added that BCL leaders and activists could be seen on the streets. As on previous days, public transport was hardly seen on the streets, which caused the city commuters unspeakable suffering.

Our Barishal correspondent added that students in Barishal city continued their protests yesterday (Sunday).

The students of different educational institutions of the city formed a human chain at Chowmatha area of the city on 10:30am to show their solidarity with the protest movement of Dhaka students for road safety.

At the same time, students of Barishal University held a demonstration blocking the road in front of BU campus on the Barishal–Kuakata highway. On the other hand, all buses and trucks stopped plying on long routes from Barishal till the time of filing of this report.

A police team, led by deputy police commissioner Md. Moazzem Hosen, controlled the law and order situation on the spot and ensured that transport plied smoothly.