DHAKA — Police removed families of July martyrs and wounded protesters who had taken position at the July Charter 2025 signing ceremony at the South Plaza of Parliament Building on Friday.
They were baton-charged and dispersed around noon. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner had earlier called on them to leave. The July fighters expressed anger after being pushed outside the venue and tried to vandalize property.
Groups of young people identifying themselves as July fighters and wounded July fighters had begun gathering at Manik Mia Avenue from Friday morning under various banners. At one point, they ignored police barricades and entered the July Charter signing venue at the South Plaza of Parliament Building. Police warned them against forcibly breaching the chief adviser’s security cordon without valid invitations, but the warning was ignored.
They jumped over the gate, went inside and sat in the chairs arranged in front of the stage.
A representative then took the microphone and asked them to remain calm. Multiple police teams arrived at the scene after being informed.
Demonstrators piled up police barricades and set them on fire, halting traffic on the road.
Demonstrators also set fire to a temporary tent that had been put up outside the Irrigation Building on Manik Mia Avenue for the July Charter signing event. The fire was set around 2 p.m. Law-enforcement personnel pushed the demonstrators off Manik Mia Avenue, and the situation remained tense. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali arrived at the scene and called on the July fighters to move away from the front of the signing stage, warning that force would otherwise be used.
When the intruders ignored the warning, police used force and baton-charged them to a safe distance from the venue. Several people were injured in the baton charge.
Earlier Friday morning, July fighters had jumped over a Parliament Building gate and taken position in front of the stage to press three demands. At one point they entered and sat in the chairs arranged in front of the stage. A representative took the microphone and asked them to remain calm, and multiple police teams later arrived at the scene.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report