Police were forced to release two students after a brief detention from High Court premises on Wednesday following strong protests from teachers, students, and lawyers.
Police attempted to obstruct the “March for Justice” in front of the High Court, organized by the “Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement” demanding justice for those killed during the police crackdown on the quota reform movement.
At around 12:30pm on Wednesday, police detained two students, Nahid and Arif, from the Matsya Bhaban intersection as they headed to the High Court.
However, in response to strong protests from teachers, students, and lawyers, the police were forced to release the students.
60 injured as clash erupted during March for Justice program in KhulnaWitnesses reported that as the two students were being taken to the High Court intersection, lawyers surrounded the police van and demanded their release.
Simultaneously, students from various private universities, schools, and colleges in Dhaka, including those from Buet, gathered near the High Court gate to Doyel Chattar.
Despite the police obstruction, the students managed to enter the High Court premises, demonstrating their resilience and determination to voice their demands.
During the standoff, Professor Mostafizur Rahman and Dr Md Kamruzzaman from the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Dhaka University intervened, successfully negotiating the release of the detained students around 2pm.
Following the incident, students gathered at Doyel Chattar and chanted slogans, later moved to the Shaheed Minar.
A group of students also assembled near the Kadam Fountain and voiced their demands, including the resignation of the vice-chancellor and proctor of Dhaka University.
They chanted slogans such as "Sara Bangla Karagar, Sheikh Hasina Shoirachar," "Amar bhai kobore, Khuni keno bahire?" and "We want justice."
Earlier, around 12:30pm, a DU female teacher, Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan from the Department of Public Administration at Dhaka University, was injured during an altercation that occurred in the middle of Doyel Chattar and High Court areas.
The confrontation arose when the teacher stopped the police from detaining a student.
She described the incident, saying: “When the police tried to apprehend a student, I intervened, asking what his crime was! However, the police did not listen and used force. A policeman twisted my arm and tried to take the student away. I fell while trying to stop them again. Although I suffer minor injury in my knee, the twisting of my arm caused more discomfort.”
University Proctor Prof Dr Maksudur Rahman stated: "I just came to know about the matter. I take it seriously. Our assistant proctors are there. They're also monitoring things."
