2 killed in mass processions, clashes across country

Massive clashes erupted centering the mass processions of students held across the country Friday at the call of ‘students against discrimination’ with several reports of fights, vandalism, arson and violence in at least five districts outside Dhaka and Uttara in the capital. A worker was killed in a clash in Habiganj while a police member was beaten to death in Khulna.

The students who joined the mass procession in Uttara clashed with the police and local Awami League (AL) leaders and activists. Some of the AL leaders and activists were seen carrying sharp weapons during the clashes.

There are also reports of massive clashes and violence between the protesters and the police in Khulna and Sylhet. In Lakshmipur, clashes flared up between the students and the local Chhatral League (BCL) and Jubo League activists.

A man was seen chasing the protesters with firearms. In Narsingdi, Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League activists attacked the protesters and dispersed them. At least 370 persons were reported injured in these incidents.

Earlier, 213 persons were killed, including minors, between 16 and 21 July in countrywide clashes and violence centering the quota reform movement. Two more were killed yesterday. With that, the death toll reaches 215.

The students against discrimination, a platform that waged quota reform movement, announced countrywide prayers and mass processions on Friday in protest of “genocide, mass arrest and to press their 9-point demand on Friday. The programme was observed in at least 28 districts.

Locals and eye-witnesses said students brought out a procession from the city’s Shibbari area and marched to Gallamari and demonstrated there. On the way, the protesters hurled brickbats targeting the Sonadanga police station. Police shut down the main gate of the station at the time.

Later, they moved in front of the Khulna University entrance at around 3:30 pm. From there, a group of protesters attempted to march towards the Zero Point area, but the police fired tear gas shells at them triggering clashes and spells of chase and counter-chase. A significant number of locals were seen joining the protesting students. They were chanting slogans against the police and the government at the time.

Around 4:00 pm, the police fired tear gas shells from the Zero Point area, but failed to disperse the protesting students. They set barriers with armoured vehicles before the protesting students, but were forced to retreat when heavy rains began there.

The students, at one point, moved forward and took position on the Gallamari bridge. The police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades from the Gallamari intersection in an attempt to bring the situation under control. The clash continued for around half an hour. A police car was burnt down by the protester during the clash.

Witnesses said at one point the students started to return towards the campus. Four members of police were trapped inside a shop in the Gallamari kitchen market area. As they went out to understand the situation, the protesters started hurling brickbats at them. In response, the policemen opened fire.

The protesters then beat up the policemen mercilessly. Half an hour later, more units of police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The injured police members were taken to the hospital.

Mojammel Haque, commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), confirmed the death to Prothom Alo around 8:30 pm, saying, “One of our constables, Sumon Kumar Gharami has been killed and some 20 to 25 of our men sustained critical injuries in the clash. Sumon was stationed at the police lines.”

“We held our patience all day. We didn’t fire anything other than blank rubber bullets and tear shells. But they (protesters) did not comply with us. They lynched one our men to death,” he said.

More than 50 people from both sides were injured in the clash. Source at the emergency of Khulna Medical College Hospital said as of 7:30 pm Friday, some 17 persons were admitted to the hospital after being injured in the clash. Seven of them had pellet-wounds.

In Habiganj, protesters thronged in front of the Board mosque in Habiganj town after Juma prayers as part of the scheduled ‘prayers and student-people mass procession’ of the anti-discriminatory student movement. There they blocked the road for half an hour. Meanwhile, leaders and the Bangladesh Chhatra League gathered in the East Town area. At one stage, leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and other parties joined the general students’ procession expressing solidarity.

As the procession was marching through the Tinkona Pukur Par area, the protesting students and Chhatra League got into a clash with the BCL leaders and activists. At one stage, protesters set fire to the district Awami League office in the area and hurled brick chips at the house of local lawmaker Md Abu Zahir. Besides, four to five motorcycles parked in front of the house were also torched.

Meanwhile, as the police force reached near the spot, the protesters at the Tinkona Pukur Par area engaged into a clash with them. The offices of district education officer and additional superintendent of police (ASP) were vandalised during the clash. Almost two and half hours later, police brought the situation under control.

Mostak Mia, 24, a worker by profession was killed trapped in between the two sides during the clash. Maruf Hossain, an acquaintance of the deceased, said Mostak came here to buy shoes. He got trapped inside the clash. He was shot dead.

Habiganj 250-bed General Hospital resident physician Moyeen Uddin Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that Mostak had wounds on his hands. However, it was not yet confirmed whether they were bullet wounds or not. He died while undergoing treatment.

It has been learnt that at least 50 people were treated at the hospital after sustaining injuries in the clash.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mst Zilufa Sultana said, “We have declared curfew in the district for 12 hours from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Saturday in the wake of the situation.”

The protesters clashed with the police in phases in the nearby areas of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet on Friday. As many as 250 persons, including journalists and pedestrians, were injured in the clash. Police informed that seven members of police were injured in the attack carried out by the protesters.

According to witnesses, the students thronged in front of the Mount Adora Hospital in the Akhalia area along the Sylhet-Sunamganj regional highway at around 4:00 pm and attempted to bring out a procession. Later, clashes broke out as the police barred the protesters resulting in chasing and counter-chasing between the two sides. At one point, police opened fire from a shotgun and fired tear shells to disperse the students.

In that situation, the protesters scattered to different lanes. Later, they tried to get to the regional highway several times. Police, in response, fired sound grenades and tear gas shells at them again. The protesters were also throwing brickbats towards the police at the time. Later, the police and protesters clashed at several places, including Temukhi, Surma residential area, Tapoban, Akhalia, Madina Market, Pathantula and Bagbari, in phases. The situation was brought under control at around 8:30 pm.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) deputy commissioner Ajbahar Ali told Prothom Alo the protesters were causing public sufferings by blocking the road. So the police asked them to leave. In response, they hurled brick chips towards the police. Police used sound grenades, tear gas shells and shotguns to calm the situation. The police have detained 12 persons in connection with the clash so far, the SMP deputy commissioner confirmed.

Locals said, the students were about to bring out a procession form the Chak Masjid in the Lakshmipur city after the jumma prayers. However, ruling party activists, led by upazila parishad chairman Salah Uddin, brought out a procession from the mosque. They chased the students who came to join the mass procession. Later, the ruling party activists took positions inside the house of the upazila chairman in the Tamij Market area of the city.

Meanwhile, the protesters brought out a procession from Bazar Bridge. They hurled brickbats towards the ruling party activists in front of the upazila chairman’s house. In response, the pro-government activists chased the protesters with sticks breaching the police barricade. They also hurled brick chips towards the protesting students and people. Some seven to eight protesters were beaten by the ruling party supporters. At least 10, including people from both sides, were reported injured in the clash.

A video of the clash shows Sadar upazila chairman and AKM Salauddin’s driver Sumon chasing the protesters with arms.

Asked about this, upazila chairman AKM Salauddin told Prothom Alo, “I have a licence for my arms. My driver was just carrying it back to my home after the clash. Someone captured the video at that time. The allegation of using my arms during the clash is groundless.”

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Lakshmipur Sadar police station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Yeasin Majumder Faruk said he saw the image of that man carrying the arms. Efforts are underway to identify that person, he said.

Students from different educational institutions gathered in the Brahmandi area of Narsingdi city. They brought out the mass procession at around 2:30 pm and marched towards the Press Club in the Upazila intersection of the city. However, the police stopped them there. Getting barred from moving ahead, the protesters started demonstrations there and chanted slogans.

According to the eye-witnesses, district AL former education affairs secretary S M Kaiyum went there with party activists and tried to persuade the students to leave. At one point, the AL activists locked into a heated altercation with demonstrators and attacked them eventually. At least 10 persons were injured in the clash.

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, AL leader S M Kaiyum said, “They (protesters) weren’t listening to us at all. At one point, there was a scuffle between the two sides. After that, we chased them with sticks to disperse them. We also ensured medical treatment for each of the injured protesters on our own arrangement.”

Narsingdi Government College Bangla department assistant professor Nadira Yeasmin and Narsingdi judge court lawyer Shireen Sultan had joined in the demonstrations.

Nadira Yeasmin said, “Chhatra League and Jubo League attacked the protesters in presence of the police. How long can they hold on by obstructing people this way?”

[Prothom Alo staff correspondents and correspondents from respective areas helped prepare this report with information]