Shahbag under students’ control, police fail to stop them putting barricades

‘Bangla Blockade’ programme is continuing for the fourth consecutive day demanding removal of quota from the government jobs.

The agitating students have now blocked Shahbag breaking the police barricades.

Ignoring the rain, hundreds of students from different universities and colleges throng Shahbag intersection with processions from different parts of the capital on Thursday afternoon. Then they chanted ‘fake, fake’ and ‘go back, go back’ slogans toward police there.

At one stage, they started chanting slogans surrounding police’s water cannons and tank. They even got on board the armoured vehicle of police and chanted slogans. Sensing troubles, police later started conveying messages to the agitating students using hand mikes.

A policeman was heard telling the students, “My dear brothers, please leave Shahbag area for God’s sake.”

However, paying no heed to the messages of police, the anti-quota protesters are continuing their movement. On the other hand, they also did not make police hopeless. When the students wanted to cross Hotel Intercontinental, police requested them not to go beyond Shahbag. Subsequently, they did not cross the Hotel Intercontinental paying heed to the advice of police.

Centering the movement, members of different law enforcing agencies have remained in cautious mood. They put barricades at Shahbag in the afternoon. Besides, they brought armoured vehicles. However, the students took control of Shahbag Intersection breaking the police barricades. Then the armoured vehicles gradually left the place. Now, a large number of police personnel have remained deployed around Hotel Intercontinental.

Plying of motor vehicles to and from Shahbag area has remained completely suspended as the protesters stage sit-in there. Movement of vehicles from Shahbag to Elephant Road, Shahbag to Banglamotor, Shahbag to Matsya Bhaban and Shahbag to TSC roads have remained completely suspended.