Secretariat protest: 75 injured in police-protester clash over edu adviser's resignation for delaying HSC rescheduling
Police charged batons and used tear shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters.
At least 75 people were injured as clashes broke out between law enforcers and protesters demonstrating at the Secretariat this afternoon (22 July) demanding resignation of the education adviser over the late rescheduling of HSC exams and lack of transparency about casualties from the recent Milestone plane crash.
Police charged batons and used tear shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters.
Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the police outpost at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said 75 injured people arrived at the hospital in the afternoon.
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Of them, two have been admitted to the hospital with injuries, while the rest have been discharged after primary treatment, he added.
Earlier, around 2:15pm, a group of students marched to the Secretariat and took position in front of Gate-1, chanting slogans like "Why did my brother die? The administration must answer" and "Fake, fake!"
Security personnel, including army officials, were deployed at the Secretariat gates to maintain law and order.
Students threw bottles and bamboo sticks from outside. A police official was hit in the head with these and was injured, said witnesses.
Around 3:45pm, the students opened one of the gates and entered the Secretariat.
Several vehicles at the secretariat were vandalised, our correspondent reported from the spot.
Some law enforcers were also reportedly injured while maintaining law and order.
The protest follows the recent crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft that occurred on the campus of Milestone School and College in Uttara's Diabari area yesterday.
The incident left at least 31 dead and several injured and has sparked anger and sorrow among students, leading them to take to the streets.
Anger mounted over the education authorities' late-night notice regarding changes in the HSC exam schedule. Students criticised the timing and handling of the announcement, calling for the resignation of the Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar.
In addition to those protesting the plane crash, another group of students gathered near the main entrance, demanding re-evaluation of SSC exam results.
Many students who failed the recent Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations are calling for a reassessment of their scores, claiming unfair evaluation.
The ongoing protests have severely disrupted operations at the Secretariat. With all gates shut, no vehicles have been able to enter or leave, resulting in a heavy traffic jam inside the compound.
