Two groups have engaged in a scuffle during their demonstrations over incorporating graffiti marked as ‘indigenous people’ in textbooks.
This leads to attacks there, leaving multiple protesters injured.
The incident took place before the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) building in the capital’s Motijheel area on Wednesday.
In the morning, a student organisation called Students for Sovereignty besieged the NCTB building, with a five-point demand, including punishment for those involved with incorporation of the word ‘indigenous’ and a map of undivided India in textbooks.
On the other hand, another group, under the banner of Aggrieved Indigenous Students and People, went to the NCTB premises to hold a programme for restoring the 'indigenous' graffiti in textbooks.
The Students for Sovereignty protesters were on the spot from the morning, while the 'indigenous' students and people went there around 11:45 am. The former announced their programme on the previous day, while the latter’s programme was scheduled much earlier.
A scuffle broke out between two sides when the 'indigenous' students approached the NCTB premises. The police went to the spot and took position between two sides. Around 1:00 pm, some people carried out an attack on the 'indigenous' students and people, leaving some of them injured. Both groups claimed to have come under attack first.
Later, the police charged batons and dispersed both groups from the premises. Until the filing of this report around 1:30 pm, the Students for Sovereignty protesters were positioned in the Shapla Chattar area, while the 'indigenous' people were leaving the NCTB premises.
Ziaul Haque, convener of Students for Sovereignty, said they came under attack when they were leaving the spot upon completion of their sit-in programme. One of them suffered critical injuries and has been receiving treatment at a private hospital.
Meanwhile, Umama Fatema, spokesperson of the Students Against Discrimination, identified Rupaiya Shreshtha, one of the injured, as their organisation’s executive committee member and alleged that she was injured in attacks carried out by the Students for Sovereignty.
The graffiti under discussion was incorporated in a book of ninth and tenth grade. As the Students for Sovereignty demanded exclusion of the graffiti, the government reviewed it and dropped the graffiti from the PDF version of the textbook.
However, the Students for Sovereignty continued their protest, demanding removal of Rakhal Raha and others due to their involvement in adding the graffiti to the textbook.