Arrests, clashes mark fresh student protests in Bangladesh

Students protesting under the banner of the Students Movement Against Discrimination in Bangladesh returned to the streets on Monday, holding fresh demonstrations across the country to protest the recent killings, arrests, and intimidation, reported New Age, a leading English language daily published from Dhaka.

The students held the fresh protests a day after six of their movement coordinators issued a statement from the police custody, allegedly at gunpoint.

The students held rallies, processions, and blocked highways to press home their nine demands, which included an unconditional apology from prime minister Sheikh Hasina by taking responsibility for the recent killings.

The other demands included the removal of certain ministers from government and party, the sacking of police officers responsible for the killing, and their trial.

Police fired sound grenades to disperse protesters in Chattogram and charged batons in a few other places, including in Dhaka, before arresting at least 68 protesters from different spots.

A huge number of police, Border Guard Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Army personnel had taken positions in several areas of the capital, Dhaka, following the announcement on Monday.

A group of university teachers held a rally at the Dhaka University campus, protesting against the attacks, cases, and arrests of students who had participated in the quota reform movement.

Hundreds of Jahangirnagar University teachers and students also demonstrated on their campus, protesting at the killing of students, and wholesale arrests of anti-quota protesters, including the protest coordinators.

At least 212 people were killed across Bangladesh during student protests in the last two weeks.