A tense situation has been prevailing in front of the Bangabhaban on Tuesday, and things came to a head in the evening following the explosion of a sound grenade.
The incident took place around 8:20pm when a group of protesters tried to enter the Bangabhaban by breaking the police barricade.
It wasn`t immediately clear who hurled the sound grenade, but it is usually used by law enforcers for crowd control.
A team of Bangladesh Army took position there to ensure security.
A group of protesters were staging demonstration in front of the Bangabhaban in the afternoon demanding the removal of President Mohammed Sahabuddin.
Protesters under the banner of Shadhinota-Shorbobhoumotto Rokkha Committee (SHAROC) march towards Bangabhaban from Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University around 12pm.
They faced police obstruction near the High Court Mazar intersection but managed to advance up to Bangabhaban.
They attempted to stage a sit-in inside Bangabhaban but the members of law enforcement agencies barred them from going there.
The demonstrators then held a rally outside Bangabhaban, where they delivered speeches for half an hour.
They announced that if their demands were not met, they will gather near Bangabhaban again at 4pm on Wednesday.
Another group named Raktim July 24, which advocates for the welfare of families affected by recent mass uprising, organised a separate sit-in with the some injured victims, expressing solidarity with the demand for the President’s removal.
On Monday, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, shared a poster on Facebook late Monday night announcing the mass gathering programme after the President’s remarks on ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter.
In a recent interview with Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, editor of The Daily Manab Zamin, President Mohammed Shahabuddin mentioned that he heard Sheikh Hasina resigned from her position as Prime Minister; however, he has no documentary evidence to confirm this, including any resignation letter.
He stated, "I have failed to obtain the resignation letter despite numerous attempts. Perhaps she did not get the time."
This conversation was published in the newspaper`s political magazine, “Janatar Chokh,” on Sunday.
Sheikh Hasina sought refuge in India on August 5 amid an unprecedented mass uprising.
