Police beat up students protesting yesterday’s attack on indigenous group

Police charge batons on protesters in front of Shikkha Bhaban on 16 JanuaryProthom Alo

Police dispersed a student protest march towards the secretariat today using water cannons and stun grenades.

The demonstrators under the banner "Aggrieved Student-Masses" oranised a protest against the attack on indigenous students yesterday.

The incident took place in front of Shikkha Bhaban this afternoon. Police charged batons on the protesters, ensuing a chase and counter chase.

The protesters gathered in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University campus around 11:30am. Police put barricades and intercepted the protesters at Shikkha Bhaban area.

As the protesters tried to advance by breaking the barricades, police used water cannons and two stun grenades. After several minutes of chase and counter chase, the protesters backed away to DU campus.

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Md Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Ramna division of police, told the journalists, “We don’t have any clash with their demands. We don’t intend to beat them up. We just dispersed them.”

He said police urged them not to march towards the secretariat and instead requested them to send a team of their representatives.

“But they didn’t pay any heed to our suggestions. Then we had to disperse them,” he added.

Jayma Munmun, a student of Eden College and leader of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, said, “We were heading towards the secretariat with a peaceful procession protesting yesterday’s attack and demanding punishment of those involved. The police charged batons, used water cannons and stun grenades, which left six to seven of us injured. We strongly condemn this attack. We will hold a protest rally in Raju Sculpture against this attack.”

A clash took place in front of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) building in Dhaka’s Motijheel area on Wednesday during protests over the inclusion of pictures of graffiti with the term "Adivasi" in textbooks.

The victims alleged that a group called Students for Sovereignty carried out the attack. The Students for Sovereignty denied the allegation.