Police-July Fighters' fight precedes charter ceremony

A preemptive protest fronting the banner of 'July Fighters' and preventive security action turned Dhaka's Manik Mia Avenue and the adjacent parliament area into a confrontation zone Friday before the signing of the July National Charter.

Witnesses said the violence erupted around midday when police attempted to remove protesters from the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the venue of the ceremony.

The demonstrators, who claimed to be victims and survivors of the July Uprising of 2024, had gathered there since morning to demand official recognition and inclusion in the charter.

Their key demands include granting the status of wounded national heroes, legal protection, and social security, as well as the incorporation of these assurances into the national charter.

From the morning, dozens of 'July Fighters' and families of the 'July Martyrs' had occupied the guest-seating area and the main stage built for the ceremony, vowing not to leave until their demands were met.

Despite assurances from Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, that their demands would be acknowledged in the charter, the demonstrators refused to budge.

Police officers stationed at the scene said the protesters were repeatedly asked to vacate the area, but they insisted that they would not leave unless the government confirmed in writing that their demands would be incorporated in the document.

Around 1:00pm, the standoff escalated when police and army personnel guarding the gate attempted to remove them by force.

"Law enforcement resorted to baton charge and fired multiple rounds of teargas shells and sound grenades, while protesters retaliated by hurling brick chips and stones. Several vehicles, including a police car and a bus, were vandalised during the clashes," says a firsthand account of the flare-ups.

The demonstrators also set fire to temporary structures erected for the event, including the reception and control rooms, two police tents, and furniture built in front of the MP Building on Manik Mia Avenue.

Witnesses said flames and thick smoke rose over the parliament area as the protesters shouted slogans accusing the government of preparing the charter without consulting them and thereby devaluing their sacrifices.

One protester angrily declared that those who had shed blood during the July Uprising had been sidelined, saying, "One group had to flee the country because of sacrifices, and another group came to power. If we have to spill our blood again, the second group will not survive either."

By around 2:00pm, security forces managed to push the protesters out of the main avenue, taking control of the entire stretch of Manik Mia Avenue.

But the unrest soon spread. A faction of protesters regrouped and blocked the road in front of Rapa Plaza in Dhanmondi at around 2:15pm, halting all vehicles, save ambulances. Another splinter group was seen near the Khamarbari and Aarong intersections, indicating that tensions were far from over. Witnesses reported that protesters carrying sticks halted traffic, causing long tailbacks that stretched across Dhanmondi-Mirpur Road areas.

Security forces comprising the Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Ansar were deployed to restore order.

Traffic along Manik Mia Avenue resumed partially around 2:40pm, after several rounds of clashes between police and protesters.

At least nine protesters were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after sustaining injuries during the confrontations.

The injured were identified as Synthiya Mim, Shafiqul Islam, Shafiullah, Habib Ullah, Tanvirul Islam, Saiful Islam, Atikul Gazi, Rakib, and Laili. Police officials stationed at the hospital said none of them was in critical condition.

By late afternoon, police and military forces had secured the parliament area, but small groups of protesters remained scattered across neighbourhoods, including Khamarbari and Dhanmondi 32.

Deputy Commissioner Ibne Mizan of DMP's Tejgaon Division wouldn't comment on the incident.

The 'July Fighters' represent individuals who were injured during the July 2024 Uprising, which toppled the previous autocratic regime. The martyrs of that movement are officially recognised as 'July Martyrs'.

The post-uprising interim government had earlier pledged lifelong free medical care and financial allowances for the martyrs' families and the injured. However, the recognition process has been marred by controversy, with allegations that the official list of 13,800 recognised injured includes individuals who were not directly involved in the uprising.

To address such irregularities, the government recently issued the Welfare and Rehabilitation of Families of Martyrs of the July Uprising and July Fighters Ordinance 2025. The ordinance stipulates that anyone found to have fraudulently received benefits could face up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of Tk 200,000, or twice the amount of assistance obtained.

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