388 Ansar men sent to jail through court after clashes at Secretariat

Following on from Sunday night‍‍`s violent confrontation outside the Secretariat, a Dhaka court on Monday sent 388 Ansar members who appeared before to jail. They face charges in four separate cases filed at the Ramna, Shahbagh, Paltan, and Airport police stations.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifur Rahman issued the order after a hearing, ruling that the Ansar members remain in custody pending further investigation into the incident.

The clashes erupted around 9pm on Sunday night between Ansar personnel, who were protesting for the nationalization of their jobs, and members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The standoff quickly escalated, resulting in a chase and counter-chase near the Secretariat. In the chaos, the melee blocked the road at Zero Point, causing significant traffic disruptions in the capital.

Police on the scene urged the protesters to disperse, but the Ansar members refused to comply and continued to obstruct the road.

Court sources revealed that the 388 jailed individuals include 189 from the Shahbagh case, 98 from Ramna, 95 from Paltan, and 6 from Airport. The cases collectively name at least 426 accused, with an additional 3,000 unidentified Ansar members also implicated.