M Humayun Kabir: At least nine people, including f
ive photojournalists, were injured allegedly in BCL attacks at different spots in Dhaka yesterday during student protest demanding safe roads.
The injured journalists were identified as AM Ahad of AP, Zawad of Janakantha, Palash of Banik Barta, Rimon of US based Zuma Press, freelancer Rahat and Enamul Hasan, a photography student of Pathsala South Asian Media institute, reports The Daily Star.
The BCL activists equipped with iron roads and sticks chased nearly 50 journalists and swooped on them at Science Lab intersection around 2pm yesterday when they were taking pictures of the student protest. Five of them were injured during the attack.
The incident took place in front of the law enforcers, who did not play any role to stop the BCL men.
Moreover, a group of 300-400 BCL men of Dhaka College unit appeared the scene wearing helmets around 1:50pm and chased the students who took position in Dhanmondi-1 area. They then threw brick chips at the students, leaving four people injured.
Besides, another group of 200 BCL men were seen staging showdown in front of Dhanmondi Awami League office around 2:15pm.
Some women were also reportedly assaulted by the BCL men near Star Kabab in Dhanmondi.
Police and Scout members were controlling traffic at the Science Lab intersection around noon but later students took to the streets as well. Later, Dhaka University and BUET students joined there.
A large number of students with a big procession moved to Rifles Square in Jhigatola from Science Lab at 12:55pm and started a sit-in-programme there.
At one stage, police lobbed about 20-25 tear gas canisters in the area to disperse the protesters.
Police later fired at least eight rounds of tear shells to disperse the students who returned to Science Lab from Jhigatola.
Meanwhile, suspected activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were seen scattered all over the area in Science Lab and the roads leading to Katabon and Hatirjheel from Banglamotor since this afternoon.
They beat up anyone with mobile phone in their hands
A group of miscreants attacked students of University of Asia Pacific who took position on the road opposite to Green Super Market expressing solidarity with school students demanding safer roads.
Around 12:45pm, a group of men chanting pro-Awami League slogans attacked the students and hurled brick chips at the UAP building shattering many glass windows as well, claimed students of UAP.
Shutters were pulled down on most stores in the area.
Banani: Hundreds of students of different universities including South East, Prime Asia and Northern universities have blocked the Banani intersection, halting traffic on the busy road.
Mirpur-10: Police barred a procession of the protesters as they did not allow any crowds to gather at the intersection or any other nearby places.
Around 200 students gathered at Mirpur 2 and moved in a procession towards Mirpur 10 around 12:15pm chanting slogans, “we want justice”.
But after barred by the law enforcers, they returned from where they started.
Amid protest, police are going to start “traffic week” across the country from yesterday.