A clash broke out between the quota protesters and the police in the Amanat Shah Bridge area of Chattogram Thursday morning.
The protester thronged in the Amanat Shah Bridge area as part of their ‘complete shutdown’ across the country at 10:00 am.
At one point of their demonstration, police intervened and fired tear shells towards the protesters. In response, the protesters also hurled brickbats towards the police.
his led the entire area turning into a battleground. Although many of the students fell sick due to the smoke from the tear shells fired by the police, they haven’t left the place.
Although a very few vehicles were seen plying on the roads, vehicular movement completely stopped in the area following the clash.
However, a few public transports are operating in the other parts of the city. However, there is almost no car on the streets.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) deputy commissioner (South) Md. Ashraful Alam said they were monitoring the programmes being observed by the quota protesters.
He told Prothom Alo that they have information that the activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir have infiltrated into the quota reform movement.
Therefore, a team of police have taken position there to avoid any sabotage attempt.
However, the quota protesters refuted the allegations of Jamaat and Shibir activists’ involvement in the movement.
Asked about this, Chittagong University (CU) student Md. Ali said they had thronged there as part of their complete shutdown programme. They demanded justice for the people who had been killed.
He said they would continue the movement until their demand is realised.
Earlier, on Tuesday evening, the quota protesters clashed with the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Bangladesh Awami Jubo League and the police.
Three persons – Md Faruque, 32, Wasim Akram, 22 and Faisal Ahmed, 20, were killed in the clash and more than 400 were injured in Chattogram.