Olama Mashayekh protests in Dhaka on 13.02.13

A protest procession was scheduled to be held under the leadership of Olama Ekram Pir Mashayekh Janata Mancha at Dhaka on Tueday at Motijheel area at around 10:00 am, to demand for the unconditional release of Islamic leaders detained in the name of war crimes trials, especially Delwar Hossain Sayedee. 

Both Amar Desh and Naya Diganta reports have claimed that there was heavy police presence in the capital  and that they aggressively dispersed protesters, not allowing them to demonstrate any where.

Daily Star reports that  a clash erupted around 6:30am when several thousands leaders and activities of Jamaat-Shibir and Olama Mashayekh Parishad under the banner of 'Olama Ekram Pir Mashayekh Janata Mancha' tried to hold an unscheduled rally at Paltan Maidan to counter the Shahbagh rally, said Anwar Hossain, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP Motijheel division) quoting the detainees.Being dispersed by the law enforcers, the angry demonstrators pelted brick chips on police, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate with rubber bullets and teargas canisters.

Amar Desh  reported that "এদিকে পূর্বঘোষিত কর্মসূচিতে পুলিশের বাধা, হামলা ও গ্রেফতারের প্রতিবাদে আজ সারাদেশে বিক্ষোভ কর্মসূচি ঘোষণা করেছে সংশ্লিষ্ট সংগঠন। এ কর্মসূচিতে বাধা বা হামলা নির্যাতন করা হলে আগামী রোববার থেকে ৭২ ঘণ্টার হরতাল দেয়া হবে বলেও হুশিয়ারি উচ্চারণ করেন এক নেতা।/ Protest processions will be held across the country in response to yesterday's violent actions by police including obstruction, beatings, torture and arrests. Any obstruction to that programme will be met by 72 hours hartal from Sunday, said a leader of the Olama Mashayekh."

Naya Diganta has reported on the arrested number saying "রাজধানীতে গত দুই দিন জামায়াত-শিবিরের সাথে পুলিশের সংঘর্ষ, ভাঙচুর ও অগ্নিসংযোগের ঘটনায় পৃথক সাতটি মামলা হয়েছে। আরো কয়েকটি মামলার প্রস্তুতি চলছে বলে জানা গেছে। গত দুই দিনে পাঁচ শতাধিক নেতাকর্মীকে গ্রেফতার করেছে পুলিশ। গতকালই গ্রেফতার করা হয়েছে ৩০০ জনকে।/ 7 cases have been filed against the 500 arrested in the last two days, of which 300 were arrested yesterday alone". Naya Diganta has said that most of the arrested are from the general public.

 Daily Star reports that at least 20 people, including an additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Motijheel division), were injured in the clashes that continued for nearly five hours from 6:30am in the capital. Protesters have been reported to have set fire to a bus and vandalised several more at Fakirapool in the capital. In Chittagong, they vandalised eight buses and minibuses. Police fired more than 800 rubber bullets and blank shots to disperse the protesters. It further reports that the law enforcers detained 415 people in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rangpur in connection with the vandalism and attacks on police.

Moulana Abdus Sabur Matabbar, convener of Olama Ekram Pir Mashayekh Janata Mancha, was arrested following the incident. 

Police grab and confiscate the banner of the protesters in Dhaka

A young ruling party activist grabs the beard of an alleged Islamist protester as he helps police in the hunt for protesters as reporters and journalists look on bewildered at the aggressive stance of police