Dhaka: Violent protests broke out in Dhaka on November 10 as supporters of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party attempted to stage a protest, but were met with fierce resistance from student groups and pro-government outfits.
Tensions escalated across the capital, particularly in the Gulistan area, where student activists and pro-government factions clashed with Awami League members.
Student groups, who played a significant role in the downfall of the previous government, blocked Awami League members from assembling at key protest sites. In Gulistan, at least 10 individuals, including two women, were attacked on suspicion of being affiliated with the Awami League. Several protesters were detained by authorities as violence spread through the city.
Reports from the Dhaka Tribune suggest that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in collaboration with Jamaat-e-Islami members, raided Awami League offices and other protest sites. BNP activists, along with students, conducted widespread searches, detaining around 50 individuals and raiding hotels in the area.
The Awami League had called on its supporters and underground groups to gather at key locations like Gulistan, Zero Point, and Nur Hossain Square to protest what they described as false accusations against their leaders and the banning of their student wing, Chhatra League. They also denounced the harassment of party workers by the interim government.
Earlier, hundreds of Awami League workers were arrested by the Bangladesh Army in anticipation of the planned protest against the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. In response to the growing unrest, the Bangladesh Army deployed 191 platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) across the city, further intensifying security ahead of the planned demonstrations.