One-point announcement of government resignation from Lokaranya Shaheed Minar, 10 people shot dead in Comilla

A group of protesters stayed at Shahbagh in the evening

Under the banner of the anti-discrimination student movement, a one-point announcement was made to demand the resignation of the current government from a huge rally in Dhaka on Saturday to protest the arrest and the killing of students. Along with that, the formation of an acceptable and inclusive national government under the leadership of a person acceptable to all has been demanded.

On the other hand, as part of the mass march program in the district, the protesting students held huge rallies in many cities including Chittagong, Rangpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi besides Dhaka. Clashes have been reported in Comilla, Sylhet, Bogra and Gazipur over this programme.

Apart from blocking the highway in Barisal, police boxes were also vandalized. Three police boxes were also reported to have been set on fire in Rajshahi. In some districts there have been incidents of chase and chase between the protestors and the police.

As per the earlier announcement, the agitators are scheduled to hold a ‘total non-cooperation’ program from Sunday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed interest in talks with the protesters on Saturday, but they rejected it.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, “The movement has gone into the hands of third parties, who want to take the country to the brink of the abyss to turn Bangladesh into a dysfunctional state. We cannot allow the evil activities of these evil forces to succeed”.

On the other hand, the Secretary General of the opposition party BNP, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgi, said that the anti-quota discrimination movement is on the verge of victory and the victory of the students must be there. “A mass awakening has started in the country. Common people joined the students’ movement. People of all professions, all types of people have joined this movement.”

Shaheed Minar and campus are crowded with people

Thousands of protestors gathered at the central Shaheed Minar with the procession as the central program in Dhaka. There, the protestors demanded the release of detained students and the resignation of the government, chanting anti-government slogans.

From noon, the agitators started marching towards Shaheed Minar from different parts of the city. Besides, several small processions from various platforms including a group of artists came and joined the agitators and expressed their solidarity.

Parents of many students have also gathered there. A parent from Azimpur area told BBC Bangla that one of his children has been participating in the protest rally for several days.

“We have been coming to these programs for two days. We have come here to protest the killing of students,” he said. The whole area was filled with the presence of protestors as one after the other procession came towards Shaheed Minar. A group of rickshaw pullers also went there to show solidarity.

Earlier, the marchers gathered at the roads and intersections in different areas of Dhaka and proceeded towards the Shaheed Minar.

And in the last stage of the rally, instead of nine points, when the coordinators announced one point of the fall of the government, the protestors erupted in slogans.

Later, a section of the students stood in front of the TSC and Shahbagh area and another section in front of the residence of the Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University and started chanting anti-government slogans.

Huge gathering in Chittagong too

Chittagong journalist Kamal Dash said that thousands of protestors came from different areas and gathered in the Newmarket area.

They gathered at the rally venue to chant anti-government banners, placards and festoons. They demanded the release of the detained students and the resignation of the government.

After the rally was over, around 5:30 pm, it divided into three processions and went in three directions. There were no reports of any untoward incident related to this program.

Clashes in Sylhet, Comilla and Bogra

There were reports of clashes in Sylhet centered on the program of marches and rallies announced by the agitators. Police used sound grenades and tear shells during the clashes.

According to the local newsmen, a clash broke out between the two sides after an exchange of bricks and mortars in the Chowhatta area of ​​the city. Police fired shotguns to control the situation.

Later, at one point, the protestors divided towards Nayasarak, Jindabazar and Dargah areas and clashed. Police and protesters blamed each other for the clashes.

Earlier, the agitators started gathering at Chowhatta from around one in the afternoon. They were seen shouting slogans against the government.

On the other hand, local journalist Masuk Altaf Chowdhury from Comilla said that about a thousand students gathered in front of the district school to participate in the program. After that, the students started marching towards the Police Lines with nine point demands.

At that time there was a presence of law and order forces, but they did not stop them. But when the students reached the race course area with the procession, they were attacked by the leaders and activists of the Jubo League and the Volunteer League.

Meanwhile, they threw bullets at the students. At least 10 people were reported to have been shot. The agitators took five students who were shot among them to Comilla Medical College Hospital.

However, the local Awami League has denied the allegations of attack.

In addition, there have been incidents of clashes and chases with the police in Bogra. Clashes took place in several areas including Circuit House intersection and Kalibari intersection of the city.

Earlier, when the protestors took a position in Satmatha area, the area was almost closed. Later, when tension broke out between the police and the protesters, at one point the police fired tearshells and a section of the protesters attacked the police vehicle in front of the police plaza.

At one point, the police were seen throwing sound grenades and rubber bullets to control the situation.

Two policemen suspended

Two policemen have been temporarily suspended in connection with the death of Abu Saeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University, one of the coordinators of the quota reform movement in Rangpur.

These two are ASI Amir Hossain of Rangpur Police Line and Constable Sujan Chandra Roy of Tajhat Police Station.

On Saturday afternoon, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner confirmed the temporary suspension of those two. Moniruzzaman.

The reason for the suspension of the two policemen was that they fired the shotgun in ‘unprofessional conduct’.

Abu Saeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University’s English department, was killed by police during the quota reform movement in Rangpur on July 16. Abu Saeed was one of the coordinators of Begum Rokeya University in the anti-discrimination quota reform movement.