Members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) staged a sit-in and road blockade on Wednesday in front of the office of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Chattogram Range Police.
The protest, which began around 3:00 PM in the Khulshi area of Chattogram city, escalated into a blockade of Zakir Hossain Road by 3:30 PM, continuing as of 4:15 PM.
The demonstrators are demanding the immediate withdrawal of the officer-in-charge (OC) of Patiya Police Station and disciplinary actions against law enforcement personnel allegedly involved in acts of repression against their members.
Protesters called on the DIG to meet them in person and listen to their grievances. Police personnel were seen deployed at the site, while officials from the DIG office were seen engaging with protest leaders.
Sazzad Hossain, Joint General Secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, stated at the scene that the OC had not yet been removed despite repeated demands.
“Just like last July, we are once again facing repression in Patiya. Yesterday’s incidents were unacceptable. We want action against those responsible and demand to speak directly with the DIG,” he said.
The protests follow two reported clashes on Tuesday night between members of the student movement and local police in Patiya, one around 9:30 PM and another around 11:30 PM. According to both parties, 19 individuals were injured in the altercations.
Witnesses and sources from both police and the protest groups indicated that tensions began when student movement activists allegedly detained a local leader of the student wing of a major political party near Patiya’s central Shaheed Minar.
The activists brought him to the police station, demanding his arrest. However, as there were no formal charges against the individual, police declined to detain him. This refusal reportedly angered the activists and led to scuffles and slogans against the police.
The situation escalated until police took the detained individual into their custody to restore calm.
In response, the protesters launched a blockade of the Patiya Police Station early Wednesday morning around 9:30 AM and subsequently blocked the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway.
The protest in Khulshi later in the day marks a continuation of rising tensions between law enforcement and the anti-discrimination groups, as demands for accountability grow louder across Chattogram.
