Dismissed members of the border guard, along with members of victimised families and their relatives, blocked Shahbagh, demanding the release of convicts, a reinvestigation into the Pilkhana massacre, justice, and the reinstatement and rehabilitation of those dismissed from service.
The protest began around 1:30pm on Thursday (9 January) when demonstrators took to the streets, blocking the intersection and halting traffic.
This caused severe congestion on various roads leading to Shahbagh, with vehicles unable to pass through the area.
Earlier, at around 1pm, the protesters, including discharged members and relatives of the victims, had gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar, from where they began their march towards Shahbagh.
Some participants lay down or sat on the streets, while others stood their ground in protest.
The demonstration follows a series of protests that began on Wednesday at 10am, when protesters initially assembled at the Central Shaheed Minar.
From there, they started a procession towards the residence of the chief adviser.
However, as they approached Shahbagh, police intervened and stopped them.
Subsequently, a 9-member delegation led by Mahin Sarkar, an executive committee member of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, proceeded to deliver a memorandum to the chief adviser’s residence.
Some protesters remained on the roads near Shahbagh Police Station, while others returned to the Shaheed Minar.
After presenting the memorandum, Mahin Sarkar informed the media that the protestors would remain at Shaheed Minar overnight, continuing their sit-in. He added that if no indication of justice or an official statement from the court or government was received, they would proceed with the Shahbagh blockade on Thursday, maintaining the protest until their demands were met.
The Pilkhana massacre occurred on 25-26 February 2009, when 57 army officers were killed at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Pilkhana, now known as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
