Khulna University students on Friday clash with police during a protest against mass arrests, police shootings and attacks. Police fire tear shell canisters and charge batons, but student resistance forces them to retreat eventually. — Focus Bangla At least two people were killed and several hundred injured during clashes across the country in a fresh flare-up Friday and the student protesters escalated their movement with a noncooperation call.
One of the two victims is a passer-by killed in Habiganj while a policeman was killed in Khulna clashes, according to online news portals and TV news
People from different strata of society, including professionals, academics, cultural activists and politicos, joined demonstrations in solidarity with the students' 'movement against discrimination' in different parts of the country and the capital, Dhaka.
In Dhaka, witnesses said, thousands joined a student-mass march banner-headed 'Droho Jatra', a latest one of everyday innovative coinages by student-juvenile coordinators of the ongoing movement deepened with political overtones in an escalation from job-quota protests.
Coordinators of the movement announced fresh programme of holding protest rallies today (Saturday) and 'noncooperation movement' from tomorrow (Sunday) to press home their ramped-up nine-point demand.
As per announcement made earlier to hold mass procession and offer salvation prayer for the deceased on Friday, agitating students and youths started gathering at different points in the city, including Science Lab, National Shahid Minar, and Shahbag since morning.
Civil society led 'Droho Jatara' (Hatred Journey)-a march meant to show an extreme dislike towards the government and seek justice for what they termed mass killing.
Former professor of Jahangirnagar University Dr Anu Muhammad presided over the rally, while Dhaka University teachers Asif Nazrul and CR Abrar, among others, public-health specialist Mushtuq Husain, development-economics researcher Maha Mirza and others joined the march.
Students, guardians, teachers, professionals, cultural activists, rights-body individuals, and people from various strata of life gathered at the National Shaheed Minar on Friday afternoon to protest the killing of several hundred innocent people during the quota-reform movement.
Addressing the crowd Prof, Anu Muhammad said the protesters have got "only one demand--resignation of the government".
The march, which started around 3:30 pm, reached the central Shaheed Minar around 4:30 PM crossing different roads.
A group of youths took position at Science Lab intersection after Jumaa prayers chanting slogans in demand for justice for the "mass killing". They marched towards Shahbagh after 4 pm to join other students who staged demo at the Shahbag crossroads.
Several hundred students also showed up there at the ECB Chattar in Dhaka.
Despite daylong rain, hundreds of artistes and common people gathered in front of the Abahani Ground in Dhanmondi to protest the killing of students and civilians.
They demanded disclosure of the exact number of casualties, an investigation into the killings under the supervision of the United Nations, justice, and resignation of the government on allegation of its responsibility for the killings.
Under the banner of 'Artists Against Genocide and Oppression', a protest gathering of artistes was staged at 11:00am on Sat Masjid Road in front of Abahani Ground in Dhanmondi.
Visual artists, photographers, performance artistes, musicians, poets, writers, researchers, architects, and many ordinary citizens participated in the solidarity cultural showdown.
The event began with a protest art session. Over the microphone, the demands and movements of the students regarding quota reform were described. The artists created an atmosphere resembling a march on the road. Then, the issue of shootings was portrayed. The artists' bodies became drenched in red, giving the impression that blood was pouring from them in the rain.
In the city's Uttara area, clashes took place between agitating students and both police and Awami League leaders and activists. "At one stage, police used sound grenades and teargas shells to disperse the protesters," says a firsthand account of the incident.
Anticipating this, police and Awami League supporters took positions in front of the Zamzam Tower in Sector 11, while the students gathered in front of Milestone College.
After 4:15 PM, Awami League supporters began chasing the students near Milestone College. The students retaliated by chasing back. During this time, the police also chased the students and used sound grenades and teargas shells. The students then dispersed.
Mass procession took place in different districts also, including Sylhet, Chattogram, Laxmipur, Habiganj, Narsigndi, Bhola, Khulna and Lalmonirhat.
The FE correspondent from Chattogram reports that students from the Anti-discrimination Student Movement observed a protest programme, which included a procession and prayer at mosques at Anderkillah point in Chattogram on Friday, braving heavy rain in the port city.
Our Sylhet correspondent adds that police arrested 8 individuals after a clash with agitating students in Sylhet city's Akhalia area on the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway in the afternoon, related to the day's programme of prayer and mass procession by the students and people.
Approximately 20 individuals, including pedestrians, students and police, sustained injuries in the incident.
A UNB report from Habiganj adds: A 28-year-old man was killed amid clashes between students and police during a rally organised by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Habiganj on Friday afternoon.
The victim was identified as Mostak Mia, 28, a resident of Tuk Bazar area in Sylhet district. He worked as a laborer under PDB contractor in Habiganj.
Besides, at least 50 people including policemen were injured during the clash between police and anti-discrimination student movement protesters.
In Khulna, clashes broke out between students and police during a rally organised by the students in Khulna on Friday afternoon.
The incident began at approximately 3:15 PM when a large procession of students reached the Gallamari area. Police responded by firing tear gas into the crowd, triggering a confrontation.
The situation quickly escalated as students and police engaged in a series of chases and counter-chases. Tensions flared once again at around 4:00 PM.
UNB reports from Pabna that students held a mass procession on Friday on the Dhaka-Pabna highway to press for their nine-point demand, including justice for the killings during the quota reform movement and the withdrawal of cases.
In response to the call of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, students from various educational institutions gathered at the main gate of Pabna University of Science and Technology after Juma prayers.
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