Police break up protest march towards DMP headquarters

Police have clubbed, teargassed, blasted by water cannon and physically abused demonstrators against recent sexual assault on women at the Dhaka University.

At least 15 students, injured in Sunday’s police brutality during the march towards the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters, were hospitalised.

But police claimed they did not attack the protesters who were led by Bangladesh Chhatra Union from the Dhaka University.

Ramna Zone’s Deputy Police Commissioner Abdul Baten said: “Their blockade was creating traffic snarl. We asked them to leave and send representatives for discussions.

“But they were not attacked, only removed.”

Demonstrators were intercepted at the Minto Road where police first charged batons, lobbed teargas canisters and then used water cannon.

Photos from the scene showed police mercilessly assaulting the demonstrators with batons and helmets. They kept on hitting the protesters who fell to the ground.

Disturbing images showed several policemen cornering Chhatra Union activist Ismat Jahan and kicking her. They chased after her, pulled her by the hair when she fell down and repeatedly kicked her.

Witnesses said the demonstrators tried to remove a barricade in front of the DMP office when some of them scuffled with police.

Ramna Police OC Masiur Rahman claimed six of his colleagues were injured when demonstrators hurled stones at them.

Police drew heavy flak for their inaction during the Bengali New Year celebrations on Apr 14 when a group of men sexually assaulted several women at Suhrawardy Udyan’s main entrance.

They are yet to arrest anyone even though CCTV footage clearly identified several assaulters whose actions triggered protest from students and rights groups across Bangladesh.

Many alleged police personnel deployed at that scene did not do anything to stop women being molested.

Police brutally attack demonstrators who took part in the march against sexual assault

The onslaught left many demonstrators injured

Chhatra Union President Hasan Tarik told bdnews24.com that police obstructed them twice near Dhaka University’s Curzon Hall and the High Court premises.

They then charged them with batons leaving at least 25 students injured.

The Leftist student body on Thursday announced its plans to march and besiege the DMP headquarters to protest police inaction during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations.

It has called for a strike at all educational institutions across Bangladesh protesting against the police brutality and arrest of five demonstrators.

Protesters are target, not harassers

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BaSaD) in a statement condemned the attack on Chhatra Union protesters and arrest of its activists.

“The incident has proved that protesters of sexual assaulters, not the harassers, are targets of the government,” the statement read.

Police denied attacking the demonstrators

Police are yet to make any arrest over the sexual harassment of women on Dhaka University campus on Apr 1. No one of the harassers has been identified.

“This proves again that the government’s stance is against women and in favour of the molesters of women,” the CPB and BaSaD said in the statement.

They said the government cannot tolerate any kind of protest now.

“No government can stay long defying people’s demand and walking the path of torture,” they said.

They also demanded immediate release of the arrested students.

Punishment of police demanded

Chhatra Maitree, the students front of ruling Awami League’s ally Workers’ Party, demanded punishment for the police personnel responsible for the attack.

In a statement, the organisation’s President Abul Kalam Azad and General Secretary Arnab Debnath said attack by police was ‘unacceptable’.

Attacking the protesters instead of acting against the harassers was ‘deplorable’, they said.