A verbal altercation and scuffle took place between the police and the quota protesters at the Jamalkhan-Cheragi intersection in Chattogram city on Monday. At one point, the police gave chase to protesters, and dispersed them with tear shells.
The police also detained some of the agitating students from Jamalkhan Press Club and Cheragi intersection areas.
Earlier in the day, after protesting students arrived at the scheduled protest rally in front of the press club around 3pm, law enforcement personnel took up positions there. Unable to go to the rally venue, the protesters gradually gathered at Cheragi intersection.
Shortly after this, Chhatra League-Jubo League leaders and activists also took a stand on the other side of Cheragi intersection. At that time, the protestors chanted slogans and clashed with the police. Police arrested some people from there.
The protesters blocked the road in front of Kadam Mobarak Shahi Jame Masjid after 4pm and resumed protests.
Meanwhile, the protesters tried to block a police prison van and tried to free detained students. At this time, they clashed with the police yet again. Later they started chanting different slogans on the road. At one stage, the police hurled tear shells to disperse them.
The Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon had also announced a protest rally in front of Chittagong Press Club on Monday afternoon, claiming that the protesters are becoming the victims of "disappearances, murders and false cases."
Police were on alert around the rally. Additional forces were deployed to avert any untoward situation.
Previously, Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon Chattogram Coordinator Khan Talat Mahmud Rafi said, “We are calling upon the people of Chattogram, regardless of party and opinion, to implement Monday’s programme.
Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) SM Obaidul Haque said, "Additional police have been deployed in Jamalkhan area."
The police arrested 532 people in the port city and 388 people in the district in various cases in the last 13 days – including 16 people in the last 24 hours – on the charges of sabotage during the quota reform movement.
