Police and Awami League activists have foiled a procession brought out by students of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (Buet) in New Elephant Road.
Our correspondent Fahim Reza Shovon reported that the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when around 1,000 Buet students took out a procession in the Science Lab area demanding safe roads and protesting Saturday’s attack on demonstrators.
They brought out the procession from the campus and paraded through Shahbagh before ending at the Science Lab intersection.
Police lobbed tear shells on the procession and chase and counter-chase took place between Awami League activists and Buet students near Science Laboratory area.
There, the Awami League activists, joined by Dhaka College Chhatra League unit, had managed to disperse the crowd around 2pm. The Chhatra League activists from Dhaka College also blasted cocktails in the Bata signal roundabout.
At that time, the Awami League and Chhatra League activists were wearing helmets they had snatched from nearby motorbike passengers.
Meanwhile, while replying to reporter's accusations of the silent role police played during the attack on students and journalists, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ramna zone Maruf Hossain Sarder said police did not act as they were "confused" about the identities of the attackers.
If journalists come forward with accusations against the attackers, actions will be taken against them, said the deputy commissioner.
On their way back, police, along with Awami League ward unit leaders and activists, chased them on New Elephant Road around 2pm.
Meanwhile, our correspondent Shariful Islam reported that the roads from Science Lab to Shahbagh, where hundreds of students took position, are now clear.
No students were found in the streets after a group of Chhatra League and police chased them.
Vehicular movement resumed in the street.
