The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) has called for demonstrations this evening against attacks on students by Ansar members yesterday.

Md Sarjis Alam, a key coordinator of the group, today (August 26) said a protest rally would be held in front of the Raju sculpture at University of Dhaka (DU), according to his facebook profile.

The rally would call for freeing the administration from the influence of the autocratic Awami League government and its cohorts, and holding due trial against the ex-chief of Ansar and others for instigating the bloody attacks on Sunday night.

On Sunday night, a large group of Ansar members confined the members of the current interim government, as well as some key leaders of ADSM, to Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital to press home their demand of regularising employment status.

However, a few hours earlier, the government had assured the Ansar members of meeting their demands, encouraging the main section of protesters withdrew demonstrations.

An apparently rogue group continued demonstrations, defying orders from their bosses, and implying that anarchists, potentially linked with Awami League, might be trying to destabilise the country.

Being surrounded, ADSM coordinators called on fellow students to march to the Secretariat and challenge the Ansar members. As thousands of students reached the Secretariat from DU, they soon got embroiled in chases and counter-chases with Ansar members.

BDST: 1739 HRS, AUGUST 26, 2024
MSK