Police, students clash in Dhanmondi

Police have used teargas shells to stop a march by students demanding safer roads in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi.

Clashes followed between the police and students in several stageson Sunday afternoon. On another front, men in motorcycle helmets attacked reporters on duty with sticks and sharp weapons.

Several students were injured in the clashes. Some were taken to the nearby Popular Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Workers at the Dhanmondi Awami League offices had clashed with student protesters on Saturday. The men in helmets had attacked the students at that time.

Students gathered at Shahbagh on Sunday afternoon and attempted to march to Dhanmondi when they were blocked by police, leading to the clash.

Most of the students involved in the protests were from Dhaka University. They say they were headed to Jigatala to express their solidarity with the student protesters.

DMP Ramna Division Assistant Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar told the media that police had not blocked the Shahbagh protesters’ march.

“They were told to desist when they attempted to proceed towards the Dhanmondi Awami League offices, but they ignored us. That is why teargas was used to disperse the protest.”

The clashes began soon after police blocked the protesters at Dhanmondi Road-2 around 12:30pm. Police fired teargas and used armoured vehicles to enforce the blockade.

Students responded to the teargas with bricks. The two sides confronted each other for about two hours. At one point clashes spread to Dhanmondi Road-1

Around 2pm, a group of men in helmets attacked journalists in the area with sharp weapons and sticks in hand.

They beat photojournalist AM Ahad and broke his camera. They chased off the reporters and vandalised a Nagorik Television vehicle.

Though police were present at the time, they did not block the men.

Asked about the situation, police official Maruf told bdnews24.com: “They did not attack police. We did not know who they were.”

Men in helmets were reportedly roaming the street on motorcycles in the Science Laboratory area before the students arrived in the area.

Police also used tear gas to disperse a group of 40-50 students who were moving from Paribag to Shahbag. The students then fled into the alley next to Bank Asia.

Awami League supporters also occupied roads on Sunday, claiming that instigators had infiltrated the student protests.

A group of men also confronted the students at Rampura around12:45pm. They began moving from Merul Badda towards Rampura Bridge.

Students from State University, Imperial College and Khilgaon Women’s School and College gathered near the Rampura Bridge at the time.

The students become agitated when the men neared. Students from State University made makeshift weapons by breaking trees and vandalising nearby stores.

Police then took up positions on Rampura Bridge to bring the situation under control.

“Rumours spread that a student had been injured,” Rampura Police Station OC Proloy Kumar Saha told bdnews24.com. “They repeated yesterday’s rumours that four people had been killed. We told them to drop their weapons and move to one side of the road.”

“Nobody has died,” he told the students. “If anybody dies I will take off my uniform and join your protest.”

Some youths wearing school uniforms and IDs were seen to turn away cars and ambulances in Rampura. They were also forcing rickshaw passengers to disembark.