Ten and a half hours later, secretariat officials lifted the blockade

Due to the action of the Ansar members, officials and employees of various ministries working in the administrative center were able to escape the blockade after 10 and a half hours. Gate No. 3 of the secretariat was opened at 10.30 pm on Sunday (August 25) after the Ansar members dispersed. After that, officials started coming out.

From the scene, it can be seen that thousands of Ansar members have been protesting in front of the secretariat since morning. At one point, they blocked the secretariat from 12 noon. All the doors were closed. Although the office closed at 5 pm, officials and employees could not leave before 10:30 pm.

Students gathered at TSC Raju Bhaskar Dhaka University from different halls after news came out that a group of Ansar members had detained several people including Nahid Islam, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and adviser to the interim government, and coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah. They marched to the Secretariat area to resist the Ansar members. There was a back-and-forth chase and clash between the two sides. The police threw several sonic grenades to control the situation.

At one stage in the clash, the Ansar members retreated around 10:30 pm. Meanwhile, the students took seats in front of the National Press Club next to the Secretariat. Later, the gates were opened and officials came out one after another.

Meanwhile, many officials and workers are going hungry during the lockdown. The canteen inside the secretariat is also empty. Officials and employees are in trouble.

“I came to the office that morning. It is now 8:30 pm. I still cannot leave to go home. I have not eaten anything after lunch. The canteen is also empty. We are very hungry,” an official from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the Dhaka Post at 8:30 pm.

An official from the Ministry of Food said that it makes no sense to blockade us in the name of the movement. Their request was made to the Ministry of Interior. Then why should officials and staff of other ministries be blocked? I have never seen such pictures before.

On the surface, female cadres and employees face greater difficulties. They say they have to go home to cook. Many have children at home. Their families are worried.

On the other hand, in the evening, several APBN members were seen coming out of the watchtower behind the secretariat on top of the high wall.

Incidentally, Ansar members started protesting in front of the Secretariat from this morning, demanding nationalisation of jobs. At one point, a group of protesting auxiliaries entered the Secretariat at noon. They entered the Secretariat through Gate No. 3 despite being stopped by security forces.

Later, Interior Advisor Lt. Gen. (retired) MD. When Jahangir Alam Chaudhry assured to accept the demands of his representatives, the movement was declared suspended. But after some time, Ansar members started the movement again. They announced that they would continue the movement until their demands were met.

SHR/SSH