Police and protesters clash, three held

Leaders and activists of left leaning students’ organisations have clashed with police while bringing out a torch procession on Friday evening, protesting the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed and demanding the abolition of Digital Security Act (DSA).

As per programme, they brought out a torch rally from Teachers and Students Center (TSC) of Dhaka University (DU) at around 7:00pm. When protesters reached the public library, police intercepted the procession with a barricade.

Altercations broke out between the police and demonstrators. A leader of a left leaning student organisation flung a torch at the police.

In retaliation, police chased the students from the area and baton-charged then in front of the Fine Arts faculty. The police also physically assaulted some of the female students.

Later, demonstrators took shelter at the central mosque of DU and hurled brickbats at the police. The protesting left organisations then took position on the road again and police fired teargas shells to disperse them.

Vehicular movement from Shahbagh to TSC was snapped during the clash. Samajtantrik Chhatra Front’s DU unit president Salman Siddique, who was among the protesters, told Prothom Alo that 10-12 leaders and activists of injured by the police attack have been admitted in Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Police detained three persons from the protest rally, he added.

Deputy commissioner of Ramna zone police Sazzadur Rahman told Prothom Alo that 10-12 policemen were injured in the attacks by the protesters. Sazzadur said he himself was among the injured. Three or four people were taken to the police station for interrogation, he added.