Student demonstrators now staged 'March for Justice' Wednesday in different places of the country, including Dhaka, which ended in clashes with intercepting law-enforcement forces, spot reports said.
The ongoing protests that originated from quota-reform movement and later 'Student Movement against Discrimination' are taking on newer dimensions with different professional and cultural groups, including university teachers and lawyers, taking to streets in solidarity agitations.
The professionals expressed their solidarity through rallies and processions with the Student Movement against Discrimination to protest the killing of students and many innocent people.
At several spots police baton-charged the activists, as well as some people were also detained.
Such unrest took place amid an eerie atmosphere as a move was underway to formally ban Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and its student wing Chhatra Shibir as the organisations are accused of acting against Bangladesh's liberation war.
A coordinator of the ongoing student movement, Abdul Kader, Tuesday announced that a "March for Justice" would be held across all court premises in the country.
At the rallying call, students started converging on the Dhaka University campus from different areas since morning. Having gathered at Doel Chattar near the High Court, they chanted slogans demanding justice for those -- including children -- killed amid crackdown during quota-reform movement. Students from different public and private universities joined the movement.
The agitators protested "mass killings, mass arrests, attacks, lawsuits, and forced disappearances" of students across the country, waving placards and shouting slogans. They also warned of adopting stringent programmes if their nine-point demand was not met.
A portion of Dhaka University faculties expressed solidarity with the students' programme, terming the movement a logical one.
Many agitators wore red scarves.
Expressing solidarity with the 'March for Justice', a section of Supreme Court lawyers also staged demonstrations by bringing out a procession from the Bar Building premises.
In the face of police interception before the Mazar Gate, they took position there and held a rally.
Supreme Court Bar Association President of AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, former secretary- Ruhul Quddus Kajal, organizing secretary of Nationalist Lawyers Forum Kamrul Islam Sajal and more than a hundred advocates joined the procession and squatting.
Another group of lawyers brought out a procession from the Dhaka Bar Association at around 1:15 pm which took position in front of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for a while before concluding it.
Meanwhile, strong contingents of police and paramilitary BGB personnel were deployed at Dhaka's lower court and different parts of the city
The FE DU correspondent adds: A female teacher of Dhaka university (DU) Public Administration department, Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan, was injured allegedly in police assault while she was trying to save a student from being arrested during the protests.
Nusrat Jahan Chowdhury, another teacher who was with her, was also allegedly harassed by some cops. In this regard, the students of the department strongly condemned it.
"When the police wanted to pick up a student, then I tried to stop them. But they didn't listen, but used force. At one time, when I tried to get back him (the student) again, police pushed me and I fell," Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan told the journalists.
However, at one stage of the scuffles, the police took the student into custody.
Later, at 3:30 pm, students condemned the incident in a statement. At the time, they demanded maximum punishment according to the penal code and also demanded an official apology from the Bangladesh Police for this attack after departmental investigation against each policeman involved in the incident.
The JU correspondent of FE reports students and faculty members from various departments joined the protest showing their support for the students who are rallying under the anti-discrimination student movement banner.
At around 1 pm, they commenced a protest march from Mahuatola, near the Faculty of Arts and Humanities building, that marched along different points.
At the gathering, Professor Mohammad Golam Rabbani from the university's history department bitterly criticized the government, stating, "The government is based on falsehoods. There is no longer any reason to believe that democratic rule exists in this country. Despite the widespread brutality, murder, torture, and persecution, the government has not taken any responsibility.."
A student, Sohagi Samiha, said: "Those who obstructed the movement are now identified as enemies of the people. We want to emphasize that the spirit of the liberation war is not confined to a single party. The values of freedom, the liberation war, and equality belong to the people of Bangladesh."
The same day, the JU administration announced that it will provide legal support to any students facing harassment or arrest related to the quota-reform movement.
A press release signed by Acting Director of Public Relations Mohammad Mohiuddin on 31st July noted that students can contact Proctor Dr Mohammad Alamgir Kabir (01714012315) or Deputy Registrar Md. Mahtab-uz-Zahid (01716945797) for assistance.
A report from bdnews24.com adds: Police fired sound grenades and tear shells to disperse protestors taking part in the 'March for Justice' programme in Sylhet city.
According to students, the incident took place around 1:10pm on Wednesday in front of the Sylhet Press Club, located between the Police Lines and Subidbazar Point.
However, it was not immediately confirmed whether there were any casualties in the incident.
According to students, around 3,000 to 4,000 protesters were marching from the Subidbazar point in the city around 12:45pm on Wednesday.
After 15 minutes, the students broke the barricade placed by the police and marched forward.
However, as the students marched towards the Sylhet Press Club, police fired sound grenades, rubber bullets, tear gas and tear shells to disperse them from behind.
When the student began to run, more police personnel from the Police Lines came out to attack the students.
This dispersed the protesters as they spread across the surrounding roads of the city.
Earlier in the day, the students gathered at the main gate of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology as part of their 'March for Justice' programme.
The FE correspondent from Chattogram reports that students of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement observed a sit-in protest on the premises of the Chattogram Court Building on Wednesday, despite police obstruction.
At 11:30am, hundreds of students gathered at the site. They chanted slogans such as "we want justice," "remove your quota," and "bring back our brothers," among others.
The number of students participating in the protest gradually increased. At one point, several hundred lawyers also joined the students, expressing their solidarity at the Chattogram Court building premises.
The students peacefully observed the "March for Justice" program, as the police did not intervene in Chattogram that day.
A large number of police officers were deployed in the Chattogram court premises to monitor the protest against the massacres, mass arrests, attacks, lawsuits, disappearances, and murders of students across the country.
UNB reports from Barishal says at least 15 people, including two photojournalists, were Injured in clashes between police and students demonstrating as part of March for Justice programme in different areas of Barishal city on Wednesday.
At least 10 students were detained by the Kotwali thana police.
When the protesters tried to bring out a procession at Sadar road in the town police obstructed them, triggering a clash, said witnesses.
Students threw brick chips towards police while police charged batons to disperse them.
During the clashes, two journalists, Shamim Ahmed of Daily Jugantor and Mohammad Tuhin of Jamuna TV, were reportedly beaten by law enforcers.
At one stage, the clash spread to the entire area including Sadar Road, Fakir Bari Road.
The situation calmed down a bit when the students took shelter in different alleys in the face of police chase and reckless baton charges, reports our correspondent from the spot.
In Khulna, Police allegedly picked up over 20 students from Khulna city's Royal and Moilapotha intersections respectively on Wednesday during their bid to bring out a procession in favour of 'March for Justice' programme to press home their nine- point demand.
Witnesses said the protesters started gathering at the intersections responding to their scheduled programme around 12:30pm.
At one stage, police began chasing them while a group of the protesters took position inside Ahsanullah College after locking the entrance.
But breaking open it, police detained over 20 protesters from the college, said witnesses.
A report from Chandpur adds: Students staged demonstrations in the district town on Wednesday to extend support to 'March for Justice' programme announced by Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
They staged protests in front of Chandpur district judge court and the Deputy Commissioner's office covering their faces with red cloth as a symbol of resistance.
Defying heavy rain, the protests began around 1 pm with students gathering on the north side of the Chandpur-Cumilla regional road, near the DC office.
Attempts by the students to enter the District Judge Court were thwarted by police, who redirected them to the roadside, where the demonstration continued.
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