Rafikul Islam Biplob, Gazipur

Students of various educational institutions of Gazipur's Sreepur protested in Mauna Chowrasta area since morning to protest the nationwide attack on students, genocide and demand implementation of 9 points.

From 11:30 a.m., all types of traffic on the highway from Gargariya Masterbari of Sripur Upazila to Jaina Bazar on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway has been stopped. On Saturday (03 August) from 11:30 a.m., the students started to take position at the Palli Vidyut intersection on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

At noon, the protesters regrouped and started coming towards Mauna Chaurasta flyover. They attacked three police cars parked below Bhai Bhai City on Sreepur Road. At one point, they set fire to all the police cars and set fire to two boxes of the highway police under Udal Bridge. Meanwhile, the police tried to bring the situation under control by firing rubber bullets and tearcells. An estimated 15 people were injured in the brick-and-mortar stampede. But some say that 8/10 of them were also injured by police firing. Police say they did not shoot.

Locals said that thousands of students from various educational institutions of the upazila, including Sripur Freedom Fighters Rahmat Ali Government College, Abdul Awal Degree College, Mauna Pier Ali Degree College, marched under Mauna Udal Bridge at 11:30 a.m. At this time, the leaders and activists of Sreepur Upazila and Paurawami League and Gazipur District Jubo League took a peaceful stand under Udal Bridge.

Meanwhile, thousands of students under the banner of the anti-discrimination student movement started protesting against the Awami League and Jubo League leaders and activists. Why did my brother die? At this time, the members of the law and order forces took a careful position on both sides of the highway to avoid any kind of chaos. The protestors circled Udal Bridge and ended at Palli Vidyut Junction. At that time there was a large presence of the police, but they did not stop the protestors from marching. Protesters shouted slogans and demanded justice for the killers of the slain students. Then the police took position on Sreepur road after seeing the marching students carrying batons. In the meantime, Udal set fire to two boxes of the highway police on the reach of the bridge. They attacked and broke the windows of the police box.

Gazipur District Jubo League general secretary candidate and former president of Sripur Upazila Chhatra League Zahidul Alam Robin said that the leader of Sripur Upazila Awami League is former VP Ahsan Ullah, former president of Sripur Municipal Awami League Rafiqul Islam Mondal and former general secretary GS Sheikh Nazrul Islam, president of Sripur Municipal Jubo League Hasanul Islam Akander. Leaders of Awami League and Gazipur District Jubo League took a peaceful stand under Udal Bridge. Meanwhile the protestors left with their procession. Later in the afternoon they started coming towards Udal Bridge again with sticks. At one point when they started attacking, when chaos started, they started vandalism.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sreepur Police Station Akbar Ali Khan said, we were staying peacefully in Bhai Bhai City on Sreepur road with unarmed hands.

The protesters suddenly attacked the unarmed police. At one stage they attacked three police vehicles parked under Bhai Bhai City, vandalized them and set them on fire. They also set fire to two boxes of the highway police under the flyover.