Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The demonstrating students were attacked reportedly by activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Jubo League (JL), and a vested quarters of police personnel in the city’s Jigatala during the 7th consecutive day on Saturday.
Some 25-30 men wearing helmets launched the attack on the students who were controlling traffic at Jigatola intersection in the afternoon, witnesses said.
At one stage, the attackers armed with sticks swooped on the students injuring some of them in front of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) gate at Peelkhana. The border guard members tried to protect the students and stop the attackers. The students and the attackers then pelted brick chips at each other, they said.
The attackers also fired gunshots. At least 40 students were injured as BCL and JL activists and police attacked the student protesters at Dhanmondi 3 near Jigatola. The injured students were rushed to Popular Diagnostic Centre, Lab Aid hospital and four other nearby clinics, witness said. Later in the afternoon, situation in Jigatola area turned volatile, with rumours of death, detention and sexual harassment during the attacks allegedly by BCL men.
Several hundred BGB personnel intervened and brought the situation under control.
However, a tense situation prevailed in the area till evening centering fresh chase and counter-chase between the two groups.
Besides, a group of nearly 50 Awami League men chased away students from Mirpur-1 area of Dhaka when over 100 students were controlling traffic and checking driving licenses of the vehicles in the area at 11:30am, said local people.
Agitating students started checking licenses in the morning after taking position at different points of city as part of their ongoing movement for safe roads.
The students examined legal documents and fitness certificates of different vehicles at different points including Shahbagh, Science Laboratory intersection, Farmgate, Manik Miah Avenue. They were also seen regulating traffic, defying rain.
Several hundreds of protesters formed human chain and brought out protest procession at Science Laboratory intersection around 11:00am. Later, they took position on the road to press home their nine-point demands.
The protesting students halted the vehicle of the Chief of Bangladesh Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) at Science Lab intersection in Dhaka and found licence of his driver expired.
The students stopped the car of PBI chief Deputy Inspector General Banaj Kumar Majumdar at the intersection around 10:20am.
The license of the PBI chief’s driver was also found expired.
At Bangla Motor, the demonstrators stopped the car of Rail Minister Mujibul Haq as his driver was steering the car in wrong direction.
In Mohakhali, students stopped a flag car carrying state minister for education Kazi Keramat Ali at noon. Driver of car failed to show his valid license. Students urged police on the spot for filing case against him and let the car leave.
In Farmgate, almost 1,000 students of different schools and colleges gathered at the intersection point around 10am and made four lanes designated for four kinds of vehicles-emergency, light vehicles, heavy vehicles and three wheelers-in order to control the traffic.
The students were also seen checking driving licences of the vehicles plying on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.
In Shahbagh, more than 1,000 students took position at the intersection point around 10:30am and were seen controlling traffic and checking licences.
On Mirpur Road, around 300 students of Daffodil University were seen controlling traffic system and also checking licences.
On the other hand, expressing solidarity with the students demanding safe roads, Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders of Dhaka University unit distributed chocolates and sweets among the protesters at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka.
BCL DU unit President Sanjib Chandra Sarker and Secretary Saddam Hossein reached at Shahbagh intersection around 11:30am where around 1,000 students are demonstrating in demand of safe roads for the seventh day.
