By yesterday evening, many Dhaka streets were strewn with the remnants of thousands of rounds of teargas shells, sound grenades, rubber bullets, shotgun pellets, bullets and brick chunks. Those areas looked like battlefields too risky to enter.
By nightfall, at least 66 people were confirmed dead and hundreds more injured across the country, as the unprecedented scale of violence centring on the quota reform movement intensified. Fifty-five of the victims are from the capital.
The death toll may rise as The Daily Star could not reach many city hospitals where dozens of critically injured patients were taken for treatment.
For a second day in a row, thousands of protesters, many of whom were non-students, clashed with law enforcers and ruling party activists in capital Dhaka and at least 16 other districts, said witnesses.
Including yesterday’s victims, at least 101 people have lost their lives since Tuesday, when six people were killed in the clash. On Thursday, at least 29 more people were killed in fierce clashes between protesters and law enforcers, aided by ruling party activists.
Yesterday, agitators in Dhaka defied a government ban on gathering to take to the streets in droves, and clashed with police, Rab, BGB members, who were joined in by ruling Awami League activists.
Like on Thursday, protesters set fire to several government and private establishments and vandalised many vehicles, including some belonging to law enforcers.
Of the victims, 31 were either declared dead or brought dead at the DMCH, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of the DMCH police outpost, at 1:11am today.
Prof Shafiur Rahman, director of Suhrawardy Hospital, said more than 10 bodies were already at the hospital at 10:55pm. However, it is difficult to give a concrete number as bodies were coming one after another.
Five people were either declared dead or brought dead yesterday afternoon at Uttara Adhunik Hospital, according to an emergency department official. He also sought anonymity.
Four bodies were kept at Mitford Hospital’s emergency unit around 10:00pm, said morgue sources.
Three were brought dead at Farazy Hospital in Banasree, said Rubel Hossain, its deputy general manager.
One person was brought dead at the Crescent Hospital in Uttara, said Tofazzal, general manager of the hospital. One died at Kuwait-Maitree Hospital, said its superintendent Mizanur Rahman.
In addition, doctors at Better Life Hospital in Rampura and Advance Hospital in Banasree said they each received five bodies and referred seven of them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The Daily Star could not immediately verify if any of these 10 bodies were later taken to the DMCH or any other government hospital.
Outside Dhaka, four were killed in Rangpur, three in Narsingdi, one each in Savar, Sylhet, Bogura, and Mymensingh, according to hospital authorities.
In the capital, Rampura, Badda, Malibagh, Jatrabari, Mohakhali, Mouchak, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Uttara, Pragati Sarani, Kazipara and Mirpur saw some of the most violent clashes as student and non-student protesters fought pitched battles with the law enforcers.
The law enforcers fired live rounds, lobbed teargas shells and blasted sound grenades at the agitators who retaliated with brickbats, creating panic among the residents of different areas.
In an unprecedented scene in independent Bangladesh, law enforcers charged sound grenades and teargas shells on the demonstrators from the air, as Rab helicopters patrolled the Dhaka sky at low height, including in Mirpur 10 and 6, Mohammadpur, and Rampura bridge.
Panicked, many city residents stayed indoors and did not dare venture out. A Rab helicopter was also seen carrying water to extinguish a fire in Mohakhali area.
Fierce clashes were also reported from Narayanganj, Sylhet, Bogura, Brahmanbaria, Tangail, Barishal and Chattogram.
Dhaka was isolated from the rest of the country as road and rail communications were snapped.
The authorities suspended metro rail operation for an indefinite period from today. Rail communications also remained suspended yesterday, and will remain halted until further notice.
Hardly any long-distance bus left Dhaka.
Different government establishments, including metro stations at Kazipra and Mirpur, and BRTA office in Mirpur 13, were vandalised while a Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) office in Banasree and several police boxes in the capital were set afire.
Besides, at least six establishments of Dhaka North City Corporation in Uttara, Mohakhali, Rampura and Mohammadpur were set ablaze.
Police foiled BNP’s rally supporting the student movement, and arrested Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, party joint secretary, near the National Press club.
Earlier in the morning, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed ban on any kind rally in the capital.
However, around 2:00pm it said political parties will be allowed to hold rally at in front of their central offices. This paved the way for Awami League to hold a rally in front of its party office in Bangabandhu Avenue against the ongoing “anarchy”.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader from the rally said the quota movement does not belong to students anymore, it has turned into a movement of the BNP-Jamaat.
“We have endured enough; our backs are up against the wall… We have to wage a united resistance against these BNP-Jamaat goons,” he said.
Hasnat Abdullah, one of the main organisers, yesterday said their anti-discriminatory student movement has no relation and involvement with violence.
The demand for reformation of quota is universal. Anyone can extend their support to the demand of the protestors, said Hasnat, a Dhaka University student.
“But no one will be allowed to take advantage of our movement and use our banner to implement their ulterior political motive,” he told The Daily Star yesterday evening.
Meanwhile, BGB has been deployed across the country to maintain law and order, says a BGB text message. BGB also says 52 BGB members were injured while on duty during the ongoing nationwide “complete shutdown” called by the quota protesters.
Several BGB vehicles were vandalised.
RAMPURA-BADDA
Rampura and Badda areas saw the fiercest clash yesterday as protesters clashed with police and BGB from early morning to dusk.
Police and BGB fired bullets at the protesters, mostly on the upper part of the bodies, raising the casualties, said witnesses.
For the second day, the communication through Rampura Bridge was halted due to violence.
Almost all the alleys of the road were blocked by the protesters, including many teenagers. They put trees and electric polls to make the blockade.
Around 12:00pm, the main road from Mouchak to Bashundhara residential area was full with brick chunks.
Some protesters vandalised the CCTV cameras in front of houses and shops.
Around 3:30pm, the BGB shot bullets at the protesters near TV Centre area, killing a student on the spot while several others were declared dead at the hospital. Some others were critically injured by bullets.
Although the situation in Banasree calmed in the evening, hundreds of protestors gathered at Rampura bridge area as soon as Rab helicopters began charging sound grenades from the air.
MIRPUR
Roads and alleys of over two-kilometer areas between Kazipara and Mirpur 6 also saw violent clashes between protestors and police, aided by Awami league men.
Law enforcers fired heavily from shotguns and charged sound grenades and teargas canisters at demonstrators who hurled brickbats in retaliation, said witnesses.
At one point, the agitators ransacked and torched the offices of Dhaka North City Corporation and Bangladesh Road Transport Office, both in Mirpur. They also vandalised Metro Rail stations at Mirpur-10 and Kazipara, and Popular Diagnostic Centre in Mirpur.
Parts of the area were first engulfed in flames and then were covered by black smoke from smoldering structures, locals said.
Rab helicopters flew at low height in the area and lobbed sound grenades.
“One grenade fell near my house. I saw some flying pigeons falling to the ground,” said a panicked resident of Mirpur-10 area.
Another Mirpur resident said she and her seven-year-old son were so panicked that they quickly took cover inside their room, and did not open the door until the heavy sound died down.
At least four people suffered bullet injuries, three of them critically, said another witness.
The clash broke out around 3:00pm when Police and BGB members along with ruling party activists carrying sticks, hockey sticks and sharp weapons charged the demonstrators, who blocked the Mirpur-10 intersection. Not all of them appeared to be students.
A clash soon followed, and running battles between the two sides – agitators on one side and law enforcers and the AL men on the other – continued still around 8:0pm.
MOHAMMADPUR
Violent clashes also erupted at Sangkar and Bheribandh of Mohammadpur and adjoining areas as protesters and law enforcers backed by AL activists fought a pitched battle.
The law enforcers fired shots and lobbed teargas shells and sound grenades indiscriminately during the clashes. The protesters, some of whom members of the public, retaliated with brick chunks, according to witnesses.
Residents reported seeing Rab helicopters charging sound grenades from low height.
The clash ensued around 3:45pm at Dhanmondi 27 intersection on Satmasjid road and continued till 8:00pm.
Violent clashes also erupted in Beribdha area in the afternoon and continued till evening.
Confirmation about any casualties or injuries were not immediately available.
Around 6:00pm, hundreds of protesters carrying sticks took position on Mohammadpur-Beribadh road and its adjacent alleys, halting traffic.
They chased away police, Chhatra League and Jubo League activists from there, throwing bricks at them.
DHANMONDI
Hundreds of agitators blocked Sat Masjid Road and Dhanmondi 27 roads, the main thoroughfare connecting Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur, after Jumma prayers.
At around 2:30pm, hundreds of students and youths started to gather at Sat Masjid Road. Armed with wooden and bamboo sticks, they set up makeshift barricades in Shankar, Dhanmondi 15 and Abahani Field intersections.
The protesters cut branches from roadside trees, gathered old furniture and tyres on different roads in the area and set them ablaze.
Source: The Daily Star
