STAR REPORT

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), a BNP-backed student body, demonstrated across the country yesterday, protesting the activities of a “long-operating underground group” and their attempt to incite mobs, disrupt academic environments, and worsen the law and order situation in educational institutions.

In Dhaka, as part of the central programme, thousands of JCD activists blocked the Shahbagh intersection, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Many commuters were forced to walk to their destinations.

Khalid Mansur, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said the roads were blocked around 4:45pm, and the blockade ended around 5:30pm.

Based on their previously announced schedule, JCD activists began gathering in the Nayapaltan area in the afternoon. Later they marched towards Shahbagh via Jatiya Press Club, according to witnesses.

JCD General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir alleged that a particular student organisation, which has long engaged in “covert operations”, is trying to disrupt the academic atmosphere.

He said although several murders occurred in the past week, the “secretive organisation” remained silent on those but was trying to mislead general students over the Mitford incident.

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