Quota reform movement: Police file case for assault, vandalism

The police have filed a case against unidentified students for beating up the on-duty policemen and damaging their vehicles during the ongoing quota reform movement.

Arshad Hossain, a sub-inspector of Shahbagh police station, told Prothom Alo that a car driver from Rajarbagh police lines, Khalilur Rahman, filed the case with the police station.

Citing the case statement, the sub-inspector said some unidentified people damaged a police vehicle during the quota reform movement on Thursday. The case did not name any accused, and nobody has been arrested so far over the case.

Following investigation, legal actions will be taken against individuals involved with the incident, he added.

Following investigation, legal actions will be taken against individuals involved with the incident, he added.

According to the case statement, some unidentified students gathered on the central library premises at Dhaka University around 3:30 pm on Thursday, marking a programme called by anti-discrimination student movement.

They later moved to the Shahbagh intersection and broke a police barricade there at around 4:40 pm. A scuffle took place between the two sides and they, at one stage, beat up the on-duty policemen.

It was also noted in the case that some protesters embarked on the police APC-25 and water cannon parked in front of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital. They vandalised the vehicles, resulting in an estimated loss of Tk 500,000.

The anti-discrimination student movement has been conducting a movement since 1 July, demanding a rational reform into the quota system.

During their blockade programme on Thursday, the students alleged that the policemen attacked their programme. They declared further demonstration programmes across the country for the next day.