Staff Reporter :
At least 40 people were injured when supporters of fascist groups attacked the convoy of the “March for Unity” anti-discrimination student movement in Mollahat upazila of Bagerhat on Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. near the Mollahat Madrasaghat area.
According to locals, the students departed from Khulna city in 25 buses early in the morning to join the “March for Unity.”
The attackers reportedly hurled bricks and physically assaulted several students after stopping their vehicles. The students resisted, leading to a one-hour clash that turned the area into a battleground, leaving 40 people injured.
Traffic on the Khulna-Mawa highway was disrupted for nearly two hours as the situation escalated. Police and army personnel were deployed to bring the situation under control.
Witnesses stated that the conflict began when a vehicle at the rear of the convoy faced repeated threats from a local passenger bus. An altercation ensued, culminating in an attack involving local residents. Several buses, including one from Seba Green Line, were vandalized.
Zahurul Tanvir, Khulna coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, claimed that their motorcade was traveling peacefully from Khulna to Dhaka when collaborators of fascist groups attacked them midway, leaving many injured.
Another coordinator, Minhajul Abedin, alleged, “The attack was planned, but nothing can deter us from achieving our goals. The perpetrators must be brought to justice and punished exemplarily. Otherwise, students will organize movements to hold the culprits accountable.”
Mollahat Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shafiqul Islam reported that the situation is now under control, and the convoy has resumed its journey. Law enforcement personnel remain deployed in the area to prevent further clashes.
