Hifazat men ‘fleeing’

Police and RAB have started a decisive drive amid a blackout to disperse protesters who converged on Motijheel for Hifazat-e Islam’s rally.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 May 2013, 07:13 PM
Updated : 3 April 2019, 09:33 PM

After a day of deadly violence that left at least four people dead amid a blackout in the capital, RAB, police and other security forces started moving in from all directions toward the rally venue in the early hours of Monday.

The law keepers were trying to clear the business district where police say the rally was continuing way beyond the time they had granted.

At aound 2:30am Monday Police fired tear shells and rubber bullets from the side of Notre Dam College in Motijheel targeting the demonstrators first up as they had not paid heed to their call to evacuate immediately.

Simultaneous drives were launched from the Dainik Bangla intersection at around the same time.

Dumbstruck by the attack, the protesters started fleeing the scene through several streets.

The law enforcers are chasing them away after taking the position of Shapla Chattar, the venue of the rally.

The whole area was cordoned off first. Staying put there were some 25,000 people, most of whom are activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir, according to police.

Police continued to position themselves on the street stretching from Paltan to Dainik Bangla intersection since 8:30pm.

Some 600 members of RAB and BGB were deployed at Paltan at around 11:30pm.

bdnews24.com Correspondent Suliman Niloy said the RAB members started marching towards Motijheel at around 12:45am Monday.

He said the RAB team crossed the Dainik Bangla intersection at around 1:45am and the protesters started to chant slogans as soon as the law enforcers reached in front of the City Center.