When protesters tried to push through, police used batons, water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the crowd.
Credit: Reuters
More than 50 people were injured on Friday after police used force to disperse protests by students and supporters of Inqilab Moncho outside the official residence of Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, days ahead of the country's general election on February 12.
The protests were called to demand strict punishment for those accused in the killing of Inqilab Moncho founder Osman Hadi. Demonstrators gathered near Shahbagh and attempted to march toward Yunus’ residence, the state guest house Jamuna, where they were stopped by police barricades.
When protesters tried to push through, police used batons, water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the crowd. Protesters responded by throwing brickbats, according to local media reports. Uniformed troops were also deployed to block access to the residence.
Bangladesh’s Daily Sun reported that Inqilab Moncho member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber suffered “bullet injuries” during the clashes, citing a statement posted by the group on social media.
Fresh violence also erupted earlier in the day when government employees protesting over the implementation of the 9th pay scale were dispersed using similar methods.
At around 11:30 am, protesters broke through police barricades at Shahbagh and moved toward Jamuna, triggering another round of clashes. Several people were injured as security forces intensified crowd-control measures.
Reportedly, tensions escalated further when a senior police officer asked a protesting government employee whether the gathering was aimed at disrupting the upcoming elections. Some protesters warned that continued police action could lead to a boycott of the polls.
Police said they were working to prevent further deterioration of law and order. Heavy security remained deployed around Shahbagh and Jamuna as of Friday afternoon.