Violent clashes broke out between students and Ansar members near the Secretariat in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, on Sunday night. The confrontation resulted in injuries on both sides, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

The clash began after 9 pm, with both groups involved in a series of chases. Police intervened during the unrest in an attempt to restore order.

Earlier, students from various dormitories of Dhaka University gathered at the Raju Memorial Sculpture, preparing to march to the Secretariat to confront Ansar members, whom they labelled as "agents of autocracy," according to the Dhaka Tribune.

This escalation followed reports that a group of Ansar members had detained Nahid Islam, an adviser in the interim government and coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination movement, along with coordinators Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, and others, at the Secretariat.

In a Facebook post, Student Protest Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah blamed the former director-general of Ansar, Maj Gen AKM Aminul Haque, for maintaining a blockade of the Secretariat even after the demands of protesting Ansar members had been met. According to the Dhaka Tribune, Hasnat also called on people to gather in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University.

AKM Aminul Haque is the elder brother of former deputy minister of water resources AKM EnamulHaque Shamim.

Hasnat Abdullah on his Facebook wrote, "Everyone, come to Raju. The autocratic forces are trying to make a comeback through the Ansar force. Even after their demands were met, we were kept locked in the Secretariat."

Earlier in the day, Ansar members ended their protest after receiving assurances from Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the interim government's adviser for home affairs. The members had been demonstrating for two days, demanding the nationalisation of their jobs.

Image source: The Daily Guardian