A clash between students and Ansar members near the Secretariat in the capital city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, left nearly 40 people injured on Sunday (August 25, 2024) night.
The incident occurred around 9:00 p.m. when over a thousand students, many armed with sticks, marched towards the Secretariat, where thousands of Ansar members were holding a protest that blocked the entrance to the key government headquarters in Dhaka.
Initially, the Ansar members moved back as students reached the area. However, they chased back the students with sticks. They also started throwing bricks targeting the students which ensued a clash between two groups. The clash continued till 11:00 p.m. Later, the Ansar members left the place.
Earlier in the evening, students from various halls of Dhaka University had gathered at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture at Teachers and Students Center (TSC) after reports emerged that a group of Ansar members were holding Nahid Islam, an Adviser in the interim government and a coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination movement, along with coordinators Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, and others at the Secretariat. The students labelled the Ansar members as “agents of autocracy”.
Police fired several sound grenades in an attempt to bring the situation under control. The clashes resulted in at least 40 people from both sides being injured. The injured were subsequently rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
On the evening, in a Facebook post, Mr. Hasnat Abdullah, a key coordinator of Students Against Discrimination movement, blamed the former director general of Ansar Maj. Gen. A.K.M. Aminul Haque, the elder brother of former Deputy Minister of the Water Resources Ministry A.K.M. Enamul Hoque Shameem of Sheikh Hasina’s Government, for the continued blockade of the Secretariat, despite the demands of the protesting Ansar members being met. He also urged everyone to gather in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University.
“Everyone, come to Raju. The autocratic forces are trying to make a comeback through the Ansar force. Even after their demands were met, we were kept locked in the Secretariat,” he added.
Forhad Hossain, a student from Jagannath University, said The Hindu “Students across the country are preoccupied with aiding flood victims. Many students have left Dhaka, and those who remain are collecting and distributing relief. Yet, amid the flooding that has gripped the nation, Ansar members have been blocking roads and protesting for last few days, even hindering the transport of relief trucks to flood-affected districts. They have also confined some officials and Advisers in the Secretariat.”
The Ansar members had been protesting for the last few days, demanding the nationalisation of their jobs with many other demands. On Sunday afternoon, Ansar members agreed to suspend their ongoing protest and return to work following discussions with Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam. A preliminary decision was made during the meeting to revoke the six-month rest rule currently imposed on Ansar personnel, which was a key demand of the protesters. A committee has been formed to address this issue, with instructions to submit a report within seven days. Regarding the demand for the nationalisation of their jobs, the Home Adviser assured the delegation that the matter would be “considered based on the report of the recommendation committee”.
However, despite the interim government’s assurances, the Ansar members refused to withdraw their protests.
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