The parliament premises and the adjacent Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka city turned into a confrontation zone on Friday afternoon as people calling themselves ‘July warriors’ clashed with law enforcers while protesting against the signing of the July charter.
The demonstrators in the Jatiya Sangsad area held a press briefing on Friday evening at which they announced a Highway Blockade programme across the country to be staged on Sunday from 2:00pm till 5:00pm.
The blockade would be held, demanding protection for the July victims and their families, rehabilitation, and state recognition for the July martyrs and warriors in the July National Charter 2025.
At the Friday’s clash, more than a dozen, including the police and protesters.
People injured and families of the martyred in the July uprising initially gathered for a sit-in programme on the Parliament premises on Manik Mia Avenue from Friday morning.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for Tejgaon zone Md Ibne Mizan told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that 7–8 members of their force were injured during the clash that erupted at about 11:00am as the ‘July warriors’ took position at the signing ceremony venue.
‘The protesters tried to vandalise the stage of the signing ceremony when the law enforcers intervened, trying to disperse them,’ he said, adding, ‘they turned violent at that time and tried to attack the law enforcers.’
The demonstrators vandalised at least five police vehicles, set fire to the temporary reception room, control room and furniture built in front of the MP Building for the July charter signing ceremony, DC Mizan said.
Later, the police used several rounds of sound grenades, fired tear shells and charged batons to disperse the crowd, he said.
Dispersed from the parliament area, a group of protesters subsequently blocked the road in front of Rapa Plaza at Dhanmondi 27, causing long tailbacks.
Rabiul Awal Bhuiyan, brother of martyr Imam Hossain and joint secretary of July Shaheed Paribar Association, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that about 50 ‘July warriors’ were injured in the clash.
Of them, 10 to 12 were admitted to several city hospitals, said Rabiul, who sustained a serious finger injury during the clash.
Expressing frustration over ‘July warriors’ not being invited to the signing ceremony, Rabiul said, ‘The interim government did not invite us; rather, the police beat us.’
Protesters said that among their injured fellows were Mohammad Atikul Gazi, 22, Md Shariful Islam, 25, Md Ashraful Alam, 20, Saiful Islam, 23, Synthia Mim, 22, and Md Azizul Haque, 56.
They also said that it was Atikul Gazi whose photo circulated on social media on the day showing him lying down on the ground with his prosthetic arm, separated from his body, also lay on the ground beside him.
The July National Charter 2025 was signed by 24 parties on Friday while the NCP, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Gano Forum and the SPB (Marxist) refrained from signing it.
