Political activity linked to the Awami League and the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League resurfaced at two points in the capital on Friday, with police dispersing a procession in Gulshan, firing rubber bullets and arresting two people.
Five live crude bombs were also recovered from the two arrested men, according to police.
The day began with a procession by activists of the banned Chhatra League’s Jagannath University unit in the morning.
Later, around 11:45am, 150-200 activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations gathered in a lane near KFC on Road 3 in Gulshan and attempted to bring out a procession.
Police said some participants threw crude bombs at them when they moved to disperse the gathering. Police then fired two rounds of rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
Gulshan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Daud Hossain said Arafat, 20, and Abdur Rahim, 49, were arrested during the operation.
Five live crude bombs were recovered from them, he said.
“The procession lasted around 30 seconds before police dispersed the participants,” the OC said, adding that legal action was being taken.
Several hundred activists reportedly joined the Gulshan programme, with some identified as Chhatra League activists.
A number of motorcycles were also seen following the procession.
Chhatra League march near JnU
Earlier, activists of the banned Chhatra League’s Jagannath University unit brought out a procession near the university, in front of the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court.
They carried a banner reading “We want our right to education back” and chanted slogans including “Politics for everyone, education for all” and “The right to education cannot be taken away.”
Posters displayed during the procession featured images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and former Chhatra League central president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan.
Jagannath University Chhatra League Organising Secretary Ashik-e-Atahar Mesbah and Joint General Secretary Mehedi Hasan led the procession, organisers said.
They claimed the programme was organised demanding political coexistence for students with different political views on campus, ensuring the right to education and introducing a merit-based and transparent process for government recruitment.
Attempts to contact the officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station for comment were unsuccessful.
However, duty officer SI Abdul Haque said he had joined duty at 8am and had no information about the procession.
