Home
+
Published : 27 Aug 2025, 11:58 PM
Engineering students protesting at Shahbagh over different demands have withdrawn from the streets after DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali apologised for police baton charges on their rally earlier in the day.
Around 10pm on Wednesday, the commissioner appeared among the demonstrators, calling the police action “unfortunate” and offering an apology.
Following his departure, the students announced their next course of action and left Shahbagh by 10:45pm, vowing not to stage programmes that disrupt public life.
They said they would continue dialogue with the government.
Earlier in the evening, the students held a meeting with two government advisors at Rail Bhaban, but later claimed it had produced no effective outcome.
As part of a string of demonstrations over their demands, students of engineering universities, led by BUET, blocked Shahbagh intersection from 11am on Wednesday. The second day of their protest -- after a five-hour sit-in the previous afternoon -- brought traffic across the busy area to a standstill.
Around midday, students marched towards State Guest House Jamuna, the official residence of the chief advisor, but were stopped by police near the InterContinental Dhaka.
Police dispersed the procession with batons, water cannons, tear gas shells and stun grenades. The scuffle escalated into clashes, leaving several students and police officers injured. Videos of officers charging at protesters circulated widely online, drawing sharp criticism from netizens.
The students then regrouped at Shahbagh, continuing their sit-in.
By 5pm, protesters held a briefing, demanding an apology from the home advisor over the violence along with four other conditions. They warned that their blockade would continue if the demands were not met. Later, two government advisors joined talks with the students at the Rail Bhaban.
At about 9:15pm, DMP chief Sazzat and senior officers arrived at Shahbagh Police Station, and went to address the students in person after 10pm.
Amid chants of “fake, fake”, the commissioner took a microphone and said: “As commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, I express regret for the unfortunate incident in front of InterContinental Dhaka. I am deeply sorry,” he said.
He also mentioned that police were pursuing those behind a recent phone threat against a former BUET student in Rangpur.
“I spoke to the Rangpur police commissioner before coming here. A general diary has been filed, and he assured me the suspects will be arrested swiftly,” he said.
Throughout his 90-second speech, students jeered and demanded the dismissal of Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam. Police later said Alam and seven other officers had been injured while handling the unrest.
After the commissioner left, student leader Mohammad Waliullah told reporters they would avoid programmes causing public suffering on Thursday.
Instead, they would hold a meeting at the The Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh at 5pm to set their next course of action.
Some groups announced class boycotts, while one student, Mohammad Jubayer Ahmed, declared a complete shutdown of all engineering institutions, with no classes or exams to be held.
In the evening, from 7:15pm to 8:30pm, an 11-member student delegation met at Rail Bhaban with two government advisors: Power Advisor Fouzul Kabir Khan and Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan. The session ended without a statement to the press.
Students later said no concrete resolution had emerged, though further discussions were scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Earlier, the DMP issued a statement branding the Shahbagh gathering unlawful.
It said students ignored repeated requests to clear the road and later attempted to march on Jamuna, violating restrictions under the Metropolitan Police Ordinance.
Police said the assembly turned unruly, with brick-throwing injuring several officers, forcing law enforcers to disperse the “illegal gathering” by lawful means.
