Violence erupted in Dhaka on Sunday night as students clashed with members of the paramilitary Ansar force demanding job regularization. The unrest, which left at least 50 people injured, broke out near the Secretariat after Dhaka University students responded to reports that several students, including student leader Nahid Islam, had been detained by Ansar members. Tensions escalated when students attempted to disrupt the Ansar protest, leading to brick-throwing and physical confrontations between the two groups. Police and army units were deployed to manage the situation.

Earlier in the day, Ansar personnel had agreed to end their protest after assurances from Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the interim government’s home affairs adviser. However, hostilities reignited as students accused the Ansar force of breaking their agreement by continuing to block the Secretariat.

Student protest coordinator Hasnat Abdullah took to social media, accusing former Ansar director general Maj Gen AKM Aminul Haque of backing the continued blockade, suggesting that it was part of a larger attempt to reassert autocratic influence.

"The autocratic forces are trying to make a comeback through the Ansar force," Abdullah posted. "Even after their demands were met, we were kept locked in the Secretariat."

The escalation saw over a thousand students and others, many wielding sticks, march to the Secretariat in protest. Violence broke out as they confronted the Ansar members, leading to widespread clashes. Reports later surfaced that some dispersed Ansar personnel were attacked during the chaos.

Nahid Islam, who was among those detained by the Ansar force earlier, labeled the continued protest as part of a broader conspiracy and vowed to take legal action against those responsible.

Meanwhile, Maj Gen Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, the director general of Ansar and Village Defence Force, defended his organization, claiming that the protesters were not actual Ansar members but outsiders who had infiltrated the demonstration with ulterior motives. He promised to take legal steps against those responsible for the unrest.

The situation in Dhaka remains tense as both sides prepare for further developments.