Around 50 people, including activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir and others involved in Quota Reform Movement were arrested in Dhaka for clashing with police and staging demonstrations obstructing traffic movement in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country on Monday.
According to sources, police detained at leass 40 people, including Shibir men, from the capital's Science Lab, Mirpur and Purana Paltan areas when they tried to stage demonstrations against the Detective Branch (DB) ‘coercing’ the quota reform leaders to withdraw the programme.
They started to gather at Science Lab since in the morning.
Police were seen interrogating and checking their mobile phones.
Later, six of the protesters were detained.
Around 1:30pm, the demonstrators tried to regroup in front of Star Kabab and go to Road No-1 of Dhanmondi from there, but police again dispersed them and took 10 more students in their custody.
Meanwhile, police arrested 18 others from ECB Chattar at Mirpur when they tried to gather there to demonstrate.
Besides, police detained several protesters who gathered at Purana Paltan on Monday noon as part of their scheduled demonstration. The protesters were rallying against the detention of seven coordinators of the quota reform movement by the Detective Branch (DB) and the “pressure to withdraw their ongoing movement.”
Despite this announcement, students from several universities, including Dhaka University, issued statements vowing to continue their protests until their nine-point demands are met.
Police, protesters clash in Ctg; 5 students detained
In Chattogram, police detained at least five students of different colleges and Chattogram University who locked in clashes with the law-enforcers. Of the detainees four were identified as Mohammad Emon, a second-year student of the Engineering Department of Southern University; Azmain Karim Nihal, a first-year student of Bakalia Government College; Julhas Hossen, a student of Gachbaria Degree College; and Nazrul Islam, a student of Chattogral Law College.
"They have not been arrested. They have been taken into custody to see if they were involved in any violence. If their involvement is not found, they will be released," said Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Deputy Commissioner (South) Mostafizur Rahman.
Quota reform protesters on Sunday announced rallies today in protest of the alleged 'enforced disappearance and murder of students, and filing of false cases against them'.
The protesters had initially planned to hold the rally near the press club in Jamalkhan but later changed the rally area. At around 3:00pm, they blocked the road on the Cheragi intersections.
The police charged them with batons and threw sound grenades in a bid to disperse the protesters, our correspondent reports from the spot.
In response to police's actions, the protesters threw stones and bricks.
The clashes left at least five, including police members, injured.
15 quota protesters injured in attack by alleged BCL men at Barishal University
In Barishal, at least 15 quota reform protesters of Barishal University suffered injuries in an attack by alleged Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) members on Monday.
The attack took place as the protesting students were holding a meeting on their next steps under the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement this afternoon, Sujay Shuvo, a coordinator of the movement at the university said.
"We were holding a meeting with 20 students to plan our next steps for the quota reform movement when a group of 20-30 BCL members led by AK Arafat attacked us with sticks, rods, and pipes," Shuvo said.
He identified some of the attackers as BCL activists Mahmudul Hasan Tomal, Al Samad Shanto, Khaled Hasan, Shahriar San, Sabbir, Zaif, Saif, Shariful Islam, and Rakibul Islam.
"They attacked us twice, injuring 15 of our members," he added.
Shuvo alleged that the attack took place with members of police, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Armed Police Battalion (APBN), and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) standing in front of the university.
"The police did nothing," Shuvo said.
Nine of the injured students were admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, according to the hospital's emergency department.
Among the seriously injured are protest coordinators Sujay Shuvo, Sirajul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Sajib, Sujon Mahmud, Bhumika Sarkar, and Sejuti.
Abdur Rahman Mukul, officer-in-charge of Barishal Metropolitan Police Station said, "The quota reform activists were meeting on campus. Toward the end of their meeting, some students entered through the gate, leading to a conflict. We cannot confirm if those who entered were BCL members."
Attempts to reach university BCL activist AK Arafat for comments were unsuccessful as his phone was found switched off.
RU students rally to press forth nine-point demand
In Rajshahi, some students of Rajshahi University (RU) gathered at the main gate in the morning to press home their nine-point demand, including justice for the students killed during the quota reform movement.
They also put blockades on the highway obstructing traffic movement for hours.
Few teachers of the university also expressed their solidarity.
Following the rally, the students marched to Binodpur Bazar to conclude their programme.
Law enforcers provided security for the participants throughout the demonstration, reports our correspondent.
Mohammad Hemayetul Islam, additional police commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said, "About 30 to 40 students conducted their programme for about five minutes. We exercised maximum caution in our approach. The situation in Rajshahi remains calm and normal."
Earlier on Thursday, students under the banner of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement at the RU withdrew all protests after issuing a 30-day ultimatum to the government to meet their demands on the quota reform.
The announcement came at a press conference where one of the coordinators of the movement, Mokarram Hossain, said, "We joined the nationwide student movement. We reached the stage where our demands have been satisfactorily resolved. This has pleased the entire student community of Bangladesh
