Several hundred student protesters demanding various reforms stormed the Bangladesh Secretariat through Gate 1 and went on a rampage, damaging vehicles parked inside the Secretariat on Tuesday, July 22, afternoon.
The demonstrators were chanting slogans such as "Fake, fake," "Why did my brother die? Administration, answer!" and "Action, Action, Direct Action!"
Police and army personnel initially attempted to stop the students but were overwhelmed.
Law enforcement eventually dispersed the protesters using baton charges and sound grenades.
In the chaos, many students were injured as they scattered in different directions.
Later, authorities allowed the students to exit the Secretariat.
However, the protesters continued their agitation by throwing bricks into the premises from outside.
In response, police moved outside, deploying sound grenades and teargas shells to control the crowd.
Earlier that day, around 2:15pm, students had gathered in front of the Secretariat’s main gate to protest multiple issues, prompting the closure of all entry and exit gates.
The students demands include the resignation of Education Adviser CR Abrar, justice for the deaths in Milestone College plane crash, and various educational reforms.
The protesters included students who failed the SSC examinations this year and those outraged over casualties from an Air Force training plane crash at Milestone School and College in Diyabari, Uttara.
Law enforcement agencies, including army personnel, were deployed inside and outside the Secretariat to manage the situation.
Additionally, a group of students from the Dhaka Education Board joined the protest, demanding a re-evaluation of SSC examination results for those who failed.
The gate closures halted all vehicle movement, resulting in long queues inside the Secretariat. The ongoing unrest has caused significant panic among officials and employees trapped within the premises.
Jago News' Dhaka Medical Corresspondent reported that around 50 people injured in violence in Secretariat area have been brought to the hospital.