A clash between members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Ansar personnel caused panic among pedestrians near the secretariat area of the capital on Sunday night.
The altercation began around 9:20pm when students marched towards the secretariat to rescue advisers and coordinators who were being detained there by Ansar members, along with government officials.
Around 40 people were injured as Ansar members and students clashed. At one point, Ansar personnel fired several rounds, according to witnesses.
Some of the injured students were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for immediate treatment, the students claimed.
Later, members of the Bangladesh Army rushed to the scene and persuaded the Ansar members to withdraw their actions and surrender. The students subsequently took control of the surrounding areas.
Ansar members have been conducting various programmes to press for their demands, including the nationalisation of their jobs.
Earlier the day, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury met with a seven-member team representing the protesting Ansar members at the secretariat.
The meeting was also attended by Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, Post, Telecommunication and ICT Adviser Nahid Islam, and Youth, Sports, Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan.
Following the hour-long meeting, one of the Ansar representatives stated that the advisers had assured them that their demands would be met and announced an end to their programme.
However, some Ansar members, defying this decision, continued their actions and prevented the home affairs adviser and other officials from leaving the secretariat, forcing them to return.
Subsequently, coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, posted on Facebook urging students to gather in front of the Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University campus to rescue those detained by Ansar members.
Bd pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
