Engineering students, who had been staging a sit-in at Shahbagh with five key demands, softened their stance after facing a crackdown by the police.
The situation took a turn when Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sazzad Ali personally visited the site on Wednesday evening and apologised for the police’s actions, which included baton charges and the use of water cannons.
On the evening of Wednesday, August 27, after 10 pm, the DMP commissioner arrived at the protest site and described the police’s use of force as “unpleasant.” He expressed regret over the incident and extended an apology to the students.