Dhaka was gripped by unrest as Awami League (AL) leaders and supporters faced fierce resistance at the historic Zero Point in Gulistan, where students and activists from various opposition parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, clashed with AL members, thwarting their planned event. The standoff led to violent scuffles, with at least 10 individuals, including two women, attacked on suspicion of AL affiliation.
The violence erupted as Raju Ahmed Miran, Ridoy, and other AL supporters attempted to chant slogans near the stadium. In response, opposition supporters accused them of trying to disrupt the area, leading to physical confrontations. Injured Awami League supporters were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, with police confirming that they would be questioned following medical treatment.
This unrest coincides with AL’s attempted commemoration of Shaheed Noor Hossain Day, a historic day marking the 1987 police shooting of Noor Hossain, a Jubo League leader who was killed while protesting the authoritarian rule of HM Ershad. While AL’s plans included a “protest march to restore democracy,” counter-demonstrators seized Zero Point, declaring that they would prevent any AL gatherings there. Noor Hossain’s family and various political parties, excluding AL, observed the day by placing wreaths at the memorial.
Awami League Rally Turns Violent
In anticipation of potential clashes, police conducted preemptive raids across Dhaka on Saturday night, detaining over 50 AL activists, accused of preparing to incite unrest under the guise of the event. The interim government denounced AL’s actions, referring to the party as “fascist” and emphasizing its determination to halt any gatherings led by AL supporters.
Demonstrators from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and other political organizations occupied Zero Point from early morning, brandishing sticks and blocking the AL from reaching the area. Activists also guarded the AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue, aggressively confronting individuals who chanted AL slogans.
Tensions mounted when an elderly man, suspected of AL affiliation, was severely beaten by demonstrators around noon before police intervened to rescue him. The incident reflects a growing intolerance among opposition forces toward the AL, as political divisions intensify across Bangladesh’s capital. Dhaka police continue to detain individuals connected to the event, pledging further investigations into the confrontations that unfolded throughout the day.