Case Filed Against Unidentified Students for Vandalism and Assault During Quota Reform

A case has been registered at Shahbagh police station in connection with the vandalism of police vehicles and the assault on police officers during the ongoing quota reform movement. The lawsuit names "many unidentified students" as defendants. Khalilur Rahman, a driver for the Transport Department of Rajarbagh Police Lines, filed the case on Friday night. Inspector (Operations) of Shahbagh Police Station Md Arshad Hossain confirmed the information on Saturday afternoon.

According to the case statement, on July 11, a pre-announced anti-quota student movement took place. Unidentified students gathered in front of the central library of Dhaka University, circled various halls, and marched towards the Shahbagh intersection to shout slogans at 4 pm. At one stage, the agitators crossed the Shahbagh intersection, formed an illegal crowd, caused riots, and obstructed government duties. They broke the police barricade at Shahbagh intersection and clashed with the police, beating up officers on duty and injuring others.

The statement further mentions that as the protesters proceeded towards Hotel Intercontinental, senior police officers tried to explain to the students and asked them to return to Shahbagh intersection. A large number of protestors surrounded APC-25 and a water cannon near BSMMU, attempting to force the water cannon driver out. This resulted in damage to APC-25 and the water cannon, with an estimated loss of Tk5 lakh. A general diary was made at Shahbagh police station regarding this incident. Despite efforts by senior officers to calm the situation, the students threw water bottles, table tennis balls, and bricks at the police, injuring many officers.

The statement also notes that all the senior officers and policemen present tried to control the situation with great patience. At one point, unidentified students from Jagannath University joined the movement at Shahbagh, broke the barricade at the Birdem Hospital gate, and injured the policemen while shouting various slogans. They hurled insults at the police and tried to escalate the situation by spreading rumours of attacks on students from other universities, including Comilla University, and arrests at Shahbagh police station. The protesters eventually left Shahbagh intersection, threatening the police.

The defendants are accused of unlawfully assembling, causing riots, obstructing government work, and wilfully attacking and intimidating police officers.