Tensions boiled over into violence in front of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) building in Dhaka’s Motijheel area on Wednesday during protests over the inclusion of pictures of graffiti with the term "Adivasi" in textbooks, with a group called Students for Sovereignty reportedly attacking demonstrators from minority communities.
The clash left several protesters injured.
The confrontation began when two groups — one supporting and the other opposing the inclusion of "Adivasi" graffiti in textbooks — faced off during their respective demonstrations.
The group opposing the inclusion, Students for Sovereignty, held a protest starting in the morning, calling for the removal of the word "Adivasi" and the punishment of those responsible for alleged fictional depictions of the July uprising in textbooks.
Meanwhile, a group of students from ethnic minority groups, under the banner “Aggrieved Adivasi Students,” gathered in front of NCTB to demand the reinstatement of the graffiti.
Tensions escalated around 11:45pm when “Aggrieved Adivasi Students” reached the site.
A physical altercation ensued, forcing police to intervene and create a buffer between the groups.
Despite this, violent clashes broke out shortly after, leaving multiple individuals — including several women — injured.
Some of the injured were hospitalized at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Among the injured, Rupaiya Shrestha Tanchanga, a member of the executive committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, was identified by spokesperson Umama Fatema in a Facebook post.
Both groups have accused the other of initiating the attack.
Students for Sovereignty claimed they were attacked by the indigenous protesters, while “Aggrieved Adivasi Students” alleged that they were targeted in a premeditated assault.
The protests come amid controversy over a graffiti illustration on the back cover of the “Bangla Language Grammar and Nirvana” textbook for classes 9 and 10, which included the word "Adivasi."
Following protests led by Students for Sovereignty, the government removed the graffiti and replaced it in a PDF version of the textbook.