Police clash with ‘March for Justice’, disperse in Sylhet with tear gas and sound grenades

The Report Desk

Published: July 31, 2024, 04:26 PM

Police clash with ‘March for Justice’, disperse in Sylhet with tear gas and sound grenades

Anti-Discrimination Student Movement protesters stage a protest rally in front of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Photo: UNB

Police disrupted a student-led "March for Justice" in Sylhet, which began at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and was halted when officers used sound grenades and tear gas to disperse the crowd upon their arrival at Subidbazar on Wednesday.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Assistant Commissioner Azbahar Ali Sheikh confirmed that the protest march was stopped at Subidbazar, and no injuries have been reported.

Eyewitnesses reported that the protesters, who started their march toward Subidbazar around 1:00 pm, were met by police resistance. As the demonstrators broke through barricades and advanced, police deployed tear gas and sound grenades to disperse them.

Currently, the police are clearing protesters from various alleys in the city.

Earlier, the Students Against Discrimination movement’s "March for Justice" began with protesters gathering at SUST’s main gate around 11:00 am. Police were already present and obstructed their efforts. As more students joined and began chanting slogans, the police retreated into the campus.

By 12:30 pm, several hundred students continued their march toward the Court Point, but the confrontation occurred when they reached Subidbazar.

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