The Ansar members dispersed and left the Secretariat area under pursuit by students and the police. The Ansar personnel who had taken position in front of the Secretariat were seen leaving the area until 10:30 PM when this report was filed.
Some Ansar members were trapped in various locations inside and outside the Secretariat. They were leaving the Secretariat area under the supervision of the students. The students were taking the injured to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by rickshaw.
Earlier, there had been a back-and-forth chase and clash between students and Ansar members in the Secretariat area, resulting in several people from both sides getting injured. Later, the students and police dispersed the Ansar members. Around 10:15 PM, the army arrived at the scene.
The representative of Prothom Alo from Dhaka Medical College Hospital reported that around 40 students and Ansar members were injured in the clashes.
Army personnel were also present there.
Sarjis Alam issues stern warning
In a clash between Ansar members and students of Dhaka University near the Secretariat area in the capital, 35 students were injured. The incident occurred at around 9:20 PM on Sunday (August 25) in front of the Secretariat. The army arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control.
Earlier, at around 8:30 PM, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam mentioned in their Facebook posts that they were being detained, which led to agitated students gathering at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture. Around 9:00 PM, they marched towards the Secretariat, after which the confrontation with the Ansar members ensued.
Meanwhile, Sarjis Alam, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, issued a stern warning and urged students not to leave the streets. He made this call through a Facebook post at around 10:15 PM on Sunday (August 25).
Sarjis Alam wrote, “These are old vultures. This is part of their grand plan. All their plans will be shattered by the students and the public. None of you should leave the streets. Everyone from all universities, come down. Let’s see how brave they really are….”
This appeal from the coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement caught the attention of netizens. Many agreed with Sarjis Alam in the comments section of his post, demanding the disbandment of the Ansar force.
Some commented that after the July uprising, the interim government has been working on state reforms in various sectors. Amidst this, a severe flood situation has arisen in the southern region. While everyone is working to assist the flood victims, demands such as those made by the Ansar force are not desirable.
It is worth mentioning that Ansar members were protesting in front of the Secretariat from Sunday morning demanding the nationalization of their jobs. At one point, in the afternoon, a segment of the protesting Ansar members entered the Secretariat. They defied the law enforcement at Gate 3 and entered the premises.
Later, the Home Affairs Advisor, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, assured them that their demands would be considered, leading to a temporary suspension of the protest. However, shortly afterward, the Ansar members resumed their protest, declaring that they would continue until their demands were met.
