Police deploy batons and water cannons against protesting Ebtedai madrasa teachers

Police used batons and water cannons to disperse teachers from independent Ebtedai madrasas—primary-level institutions under the madrasa board—at Shahbagh today as they were on their way to the Chief Adviser's Office, demanding the nationalization of all registered institutions. Khalid Monsur, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, stated, "They were heading towards the Chief Advisor's Office to lay siege with their procession. We stopped them at the Shahbagh intersection and dispersed them. Now they have gathered in front of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University." The protesting teachers claimed that several of their colleagues were injured in the police crackdown. Witnesses reported that several hundred teachers had assembled at the Jatiya Press Club for a rally, before announcing a march towards the CA office and beginning the procession around 12:30 pm. When the teachers, organized under the "Bangladesh Swatantra Ebtedai Madrasa Shikkhak Oikyojote" banner, reached Shahbagh and broke through a police barricade near Shahbagh Police Station, the police intervened. A photographer from The Daily Star at the scene reported that several teachers were injured during the police action.

At least five teachers were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with injuries, according to hospital sources.