“40 Injured in Bangladesh as Students Clash with Ansar Protesters”
At least 40 people were injured as a clash broke out between Ansar members and students near the secretariat in Dhaka tonight, media reports said.
Dhaka: At least 40 people were injured as a clash broke out between Ansar members and students near the secretariat in Dhaka tonight, media reports said.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police camp in-charge (inspector) Md Bachchu Mia said the injured started coming to the hospital around 9:30pm, The Daily Star reported.
Asif Hawladar, Dhaka University correspondent, was injured critically during the clash. He was admitted to a city hospital, according to media reports.
The incident took place when over a thousand students many of them with sticks marched towards the secretariat where dozens of Ansar members were holding protests blocking the entrance of the key government headquarters.
The students termed the Ansar members as “agents of autocracy”.
Several conveners of the anti-discrimination student movement invited students to gather at the Raju sculpture to march towards the secretariat, sources said.
The Ansar members initially moved back as students reached the area around 9:20pm.
However, they chased back the students with sticks. They also started throwing bricks targeting the students which ensued a clash between two groups. The clash continued till 10:00pm, according to witnesses.
Chaitanya Hossain, a student said both students and Ansar members became injured during the clash.
Murad Mondal, another student said they were busy collecting and distributing relief to the flood victims in the university area. Learning that some officials and advisers have been confined to the secretariat by the Ansar members, they decided to march towards it.
“We don’t need any Ansars in our country,” he said.
The clashes came after members of the Ansar refused to withdraw their protest despite the interim government’s assurance of abolishing the “rest tradition” in the force.
