A dismissed army personnel used a child as a human shield to block military representatives’ vehicles in front of the National Press Club on Sunday (18 May) as part of a protest to press home his demands.
After a discussion event at the venue, as army representatives were about to leave, the former soldier sat in front of their vehicles holding a small child on his lap.
Earlier in the day, ex-Navy sailor M Bahauddin began a sit-in protest outside the Press Club, announcing that if no army officials arrived within 45 minutes for discussions, they would begin a long march towards Jahangir Gate and demand the release of their detained coordinator Naimul Islam.
In response, an army delegation, led by Brigadier General Aminur Rahman, arrived around 2:00 PM and held a lengthy discussion with the protesting ex-servicemen.
Following the meeting, the official said the army accepted their demands but would implement them gradually.
Unhappy with a verbal commitment, the protesters demanded written assurance.
They chanted slogans, locked the Press Club gates, and laid down in front of army vehicles to prevent them from leaving.
One protester even sat down in front of a vehicle with a child, ignoring repeated requests from army officials to move.
