2 beaten, handed over to police near Dhanmondi 32

Two individuals were beaten and handed over to police by protesters near Dhanmondi 32 tonight, amid heightened security ahead of August 15.

Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ka Shai Nu Marma told The Daily Star last night, "The two were brought in by protesters who suspected them to be affiliated with Awami League or the banned organisation Chhatra League. We are interrogating them."

Police, however, did not reveal their identities.

The incident occurred around 8:30pm near the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, where demonstrators under the banner of Chhatra-Janata (students and public) had gathered.

Photo: Shaheen Mollah/Star

Since the evening, protesters had begun assembling near Dhanmondi 32, citing concerns over possible sabotage.

MK Milon, convener of Ward 15 of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, told The Daily Star, "We are here to prevent any attempts of sabotage. Police are present, and so are we."

Around 10:00pm, over a hundred people were seen gathered at the site.

Photo: Shaheen Mollah/Star

Protesters under the banner of "Conscious Citizens of the Republic" reiterated their three-point demand. One of the protesters, Mahfuzur Rahman told The Daily Star that their demands included: 

- The posthumous trial of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the killings of thousands of JASAD activists during his three and a half years of rule

- Posthumous trial of Sheikh Mujib for the killing of thousands of JASAD activists during his tenure

- The mandatory inclusion of the July-August uprising and Hasina's authoritarianism in school textbooks

Mahfuzur Rahman later in the evening added a fourth demand: the establishment of a "July-August Directorate" to rehabilitate the injured and compensate families of those killed during the uprising.

OC Ka Shai Nu said police are on alert to prevent any untoward situation. "A patrol team is ever-present here. Since morning, an additional platoon has been deployed," he added.