At least 21 protestors, including two women, were injured after police charge baton and used water cannon on a peaceful march towards Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters demanding the arrest of suspects involved in sexual harassment of women gathered at the Dhaka University campus during Pahela Baishakh celebrations.
In protest to the brutal attack by police, Bangladesh Chhatra Union later in the day announced that they would enforce student strike at all educational institutions in the country on Tuesday.
Witnesses said the several hundred police in riot gear intercepted the march—the protesters were parading under the banner of Counter Attack—in three places when they launched their scheduled march from Dhaka University toward the DMP headquarters located on 36, Shaheed captain Mansor Ali Swarani, in Ramna area.
The witnesses said police finally carried out the attack when the march of some 100 protesters reached some 300 yards off the DMP headquarters and the protesters sat down on the street as they wanted assurance from the DMP commissioner that the culprits would be held.
The attack, led by the DMP’s Raman crime division deputy commissioner, triggered a chase and counter-chase between the protestors and police.
Police kicked and beat up the protesters –mostly left-leaning students from different educational institutions—who also pelted stones at the on-duty police.
The police used water cannon and fired tear-shells to disperse the protestors who obstructed the busy road for half an hour.
The police kicked female demonstrators when they tried to leave the place on being attacked, the witnesses said.
The police also detained five demonstrators—Anik Roy,23, of Bangladesh University of Textiles, Saddam Hossain, 22, and Antu Nath, 23, of Tejgaon College, Dipandro Sidhanto Kajol and Ariful Islam Arif of Jahangirnagar University—at the Ramna police station, after picking them out of the spot. They are all involved with the Chhatra Union.
‘The decision on whether they will be released has not been finalised,’ said Raman police officer-in-charge Moshiur Rahman at about 9:00pm.
New Age’s Dhaka Medical College Hospital correspondent reported that 21 protestors took treatment for their injuries sustained on head, legs and other parts during the clash.
Of the injured, the condition of Maruf Billah Tonmoy, Rajib Raj Kumar, Ismat Jahan, GM Jilany Shuvo, Mehedi Hasan, Shahin Ahmed and Ferdous Ahmed were critical, said Lucky Akter, general secretary of Chhatra union.
The Raman police station official claimed five of their officials and personnel were also injured.
Dhaka University Chattra Union president Hasan Tarik in a press conference later in the day at Madhur canteen said the police tried to foil a peaceful protest and barred them three times near Doyel Chattar, Shikkha Bhaban and Matsa Bhaban intersections and finally carried out the attack that left 32-33 of their activists injured.
He, however, announced programmes protesting the attack and to realise their six-point demand.
On April 14, a number of young men sexually assaulted women at Suhrawardy Udyan gate near the TSC of Dhaka University during the celebration of the first day of Bangla New Year.
The incident sparked public outrage and since then, students and people from all walks of life have been demanding action against the culprits.
But, DMP investigators have hardly made any progress in their investigation.
Source: New Age
