Quota reform protesters demonstrate in Bangladesh

Quota reform protesters staged protests across Bangladesh on Monday, including in the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong. However, law enforcers dispersed protesters in several places and detained at least 80 people, Bangladesh-based The Daily Star reported.

Ruling party men also prevented protesters from demonstrating at several places. Students from various universities and colleges staged protests against the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s detective branch detaining six coordinators of the quota reform protest and forcing them to issue a statement on ending the protest.

At least 10 students were detained by police after they dispersed a protest by around 100 students in Chittagong’s Jamal Khan area on Monday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, university and college students arrived at Cheragi crossing to take out a rally at around 3 pm (local time). A large number of police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Armed Police Battalion and army personnel were deployed in the area.

Tensions escalated after 100-150 leaders and activists of the Jubo League and Chhatra League, led by Chittagong City Corporation Ward-21 councilor Saibal Das Suman, arrived at the scene and verbally abused the protesters.

At one point, Jubo League and Chhatra League men beat up two students and handed them over to the police. When some students tried to free those detained, the police lathicharged them. After this, the protesters reached near the Qadam Mubarak Mosque and started raising slogans.

Police fired stun grenades and tear gas shells at the protesters at around 4 pm local time. Three policemen and a journalist were injured in the incident, the Daily Star reported.

Another group of protesters hurled brick pieces at the police near the Andarkila Shahi Jame Mosque at around 5 pm local time, prompting the police to fire rubber bullets and tear gas shells at them.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (South) Mustafizur Rahman said the police took action as all forms of gatherings and protests were banned during the curfew. Law enforcers detained at least 70 people from different areas of Dhaka.

On Sunday, Abdul Kader, coordinator of the quota reform protest, announced on social media that they would hold protests at eight locations in Dhaka, including Science Lab, Gate-8 of North South University, Jatiya Press Club, BNS Centre in Uttara, Mirpur-10, ECB Chattar in Mirpur, Rampura and Mohakhali.

Police detained at least 10 protesters from Mirpur-10 crossing, two from Purana Paltan, 10 from Uttara, 10 from opposite Star Kabab in Dhanmondi and six from Badda.

“The students were standing outside gates 1, 2 and 5 of the university since 10:00 am. The police detained at least 15 of them and kept them in three police vans until 1:30 pm,” two security personnel of a private university located in the Bashundhara residential area said on condition of anonymity.

Jahangirnagar University students staged a protest demanding the unconditional release of Kota reform movement coordinators and other detainees. Several JU teachers expressed solidarity with the protesters.

Hundreds of Rajshahi University students blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in Rajshahi from 12:20 pm (local time) to 1:00 pm (local time) to protest the detention of six coordinators of the quota reform movement. They raised slogans demanding accountability for the deaths of their fellow students and those responsible for the deaths.

At least 15 students were injured when protesters were allegedly attacked by Chhatra League activists at Barishal University near the university’s administrative building at around 2 pm (local time).

One of the injured, Sujoy Subho, said 40-50 Chhatra League men armed with sticks targeted the students when they were discussing their next move. Students of Government Brojomohan (BM) College staged a protest at the Nathulabad Central Bus Terminal area of ​​Barisal city.

Students blocked the Dhaka-Noakhali highway in front of Noakhali Zilla School in Noakhali for three hours from 2 pm (local time). More than 200 students took out a procession in Thakurgaon carrying black flags demanding justice for the recent killings of students.

Police prevented a student protest at Firoz-Jahangir Chhatar in Mymensingh. Awami League supporters armed with sticks and iron rods stopped around 60 students of Comilla University from moving towards the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Comilla. The students later protested outside the university at around 3 pm (local time), the Daily Star reported.

A group of students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology staged a protest at the main gate of the university in Sylhet at 3pm local time and later took out a procession. Cultural forum Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi could not hold a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday afternoon as law enforcers cordoned off the area.

Meanwhile, some coordinators of the quota reform protest rejected the government’s call for a nationwide mourning for those killed in the recent violence. Instead, they called on students and people at educational institutions to cover their faces with red cloth and share their photos online today, The Delhi Star reported.

They made this announcement through a press release signed by Mahin Sarkar, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The statement said, “We would like to tell the government that in the history of Bengal, no movement could be suppressed by firing on students. Accept our nine-point demand immediately and bring stability to the country.”

Quote The reform coordinators’ demands include an apology from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the resignation of Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Law Minister Anisul Haque, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak.