6 sustain pellet wounds in student-police clash at Shanir Akhra

At least six people, including a toddler, have sustained pellet wounds as the quota reform protesters clashed with the police in the capital’s Shanir Akhra area ;on Wednesday evening. 

The protesters blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the area throughout the day. A clash broke out there when the police attempted to disperse them in the evening, and it was going on until the filing of this report around 9:00pm. 

The police, at one stage, fired shotgun pellets at the protesters, injuring at least six of them. They were taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Inspector Bacchu Miya of the hospital police outpost. 

The injured are – Iran, Shohagh, Babu Miya and his child Rohit Mia, and schoolboy Mahim Ahmed. 

While talking to Prothom Alo, Babu Miya, a trader by profession, said he along with his baby boy was on the premises of their residence in the Daniya area during the police firing and the baby was hit by pellets at one point.  

Mohammad Ali, father of deceased schoolboy Mahim, said they faced police firings when they were returning home from a nearby coaching centre. They were caught in the middle of chases and counter chases between two sides, and Mahim sustained pellet wounds at one stage. 

According to the protesters, they have been blocking the highway since 10:00am, but the police said the  students went there around 12:00pm. Vehicular movement on the highway came to a standstill due to the protest programme. 

The policemen attempted to disperse the protesters in the evening and it was followed by the clashes. 

A police inspector from the Jatrabari police station said local activists of BNP and Jamaat used the students as shields to block the highway, and the police dispersed them in the evening. 

He, however, was unaware of any injuries resulting from police firing.