Three people were killed and over a hundred injured in a clash between two groups of Tablighi Jamaat over the organization of the Bishwa Ijtema on the banks of Turag in Tongi, Gazipur. In addition, videos are being circulated claiming that the Ijtema ground has been occupied by Saad supporters.

The clash between the two groups began at around 3 am on Tuesday (December 17) at the Ijtema ground on the banks of Turag in Tongi.

The deceased in the clash are - Bachchu Mia (70), Egarosindur of Pakundia police station in Kishoreganj and Belal (60), son of A. Samad of Beraid area of Dakshin Khan, Dhaka, and Taijul Islam (65) of Bogura district.

The injured are - A. Rouf (55), Mojibur Rahman (58), A. Hannan (60), Zahurul Islam (38), Arif (34), Faisal (28), Tariqul (42), Shahed (44), Ukil Mia (58), Pant (55) Tongi, Khorshed Alam (50) Belal (34), Anwar (50), Abu Bakkar (59), Ariful Islam (50), Anwar (26), Anwar (76), Forkan Ahmed (35), A. Rouf (55) Mujibur Rahman (58), A. Hannan (60), Zahurul Islam (38), Arif (34), Faisal (28), Tariqul (42), Shahed (44).

Local sources said that around 3 am, Saad supporters started entering the Ijtema ground from the west bank of the Turag River through various roads including Kamarpara Bridge. At that time, Zubair supporters hurled bricks and stones from inside the ground. In response to this, the Saad supporters also attacked back. At one stage, when the Saad supporters entered the field, a massive clash broke out between the two sides.

It is reported that 2 people were killed on the spot and over a hundred were injured, while another died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Muaz bin Noor, an influential Saad supporter, said in a video message, "We are now in control of the Ijtema field. 3 of our brothers were martyred in the attack by the Zubair supporters." Noor claimed that many Zubair supporters were arrested with knives and spears in the field.

Meanwhile, the casualties in the clash at the Ijtema field are being taken to various hospitals, including Tongi Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital.

Senior Brother Hafizul Islam of the emergency department of Tongi Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital confirmed the news of the dead and injured, saying that so far three people have been killed and numerous people have been injured.

Claiming that the condition of many is critical, he said that the death toll could rise further. The injured are being taken to various hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Tongi West Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Iskandar Habib said, "So far we have received information about two deaths. The administration is working to control the law and order situation." Incidentally, the Bishwa Ijtema will be held in two phases next year. The first phase will be held from January 31 to February 2 and the second phase from February 7 to 9. On December 3, the 5-day Jod Ijtema, organized by Shuray Nezam, ended as a preparation for the first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema. On December 20, there is a dispute that the Saad supporters will hold Jod Ijtema and the Zubair supporters will not allow it. In this situation, both sides are holding various programs including press conferences and rallies. After the press conference of the Zubair supporters, the Saad supporters also held a conference and explained their position.

A group of Dhaka University students have staged a demonstration to protest and demand justice over the murder of former East West University student Tajbir Hossain Shihan and American International University Bangladesh (AIUB) student Md. Wazed Simanto and the recovery of the body of an unidentified young woman from a lake in Badda.

The march began on Tuesday (December 17) night in front of the university's Raju Sculpture under the banner of 'Dhaka University Students'.

The banner of the students' march read 'Protest march at the foot of Raju Sculpture to protest and demand justice for the assassination of three comrades of the July Uprising and the anti-Indian aggression movement.'

The march passed through VC Chattar and Halpara and ended at Raju Sculpture. Dhaka University students and leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement delivered brief speeches during the march.

Former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, Abdul Quader, said, in Bangladesh, the bodies of revolutionaries on whose shoulders Bangladesh gained independence lie on the streets. The interim government, which came to power by trampling on the blood of revolutionaries, is playing a passive and indifferent role in this matter. This is a bad sign. You have forgotten our dreams and expectations. We have to do politics in this country with the mandate of the students and the people.

He also said, we have seen in the past - ministers of the Awami League government used to say where are the corrupt, today we have also seen the Home Affairs Adviser said - where did Obaidul Quader stay, we will arrest them. In the past, if a dissident person whispers somewhere, it is known in a minute. Now, what are the police administration ministers and bureaucrats doing, we want answers. Chhatra League is still roaming around in different places of Dhaka at 32, carrying out attacks, meetings, processions, conspiracies. Yet the administration is playing a passive role, we condemn it.

After the rally, Abu Baker Majumdar, former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, said in a message sent to journalists, the current law and order situation in the country is gradually becoming dire. The brutal deaths of two university students and an unidentified person in just six days have painted a terrible picture of the security system in our society. Dreamy young people like Wazed Simanto and Tajbir Hossain Shihan are losing their lives at the hands of miscreants, which is destroying the future of the nation on the one hand, and showing the failure of the law enforcement agencies on the other. Incidentally, miscreants hacked Tajbir Hossain Shihan, a student of East West University, to death in Kaliakoir, Gazipur, in the early hours of last Thursday (December 12). On the same day, Mohammad Simanto, a student of American International University, was stabbed to death by a robber in Narayanganj. Two days later, on Saturday, he died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The body of Sujana, a class 12 student of Bhashantek Government College, was recovered from Rupganj Lake in Narayanganj on Tuesday (December 17) morning.

40 more people have been added as central members of the National Citizens Committee. As a result, the number of members of the committee has increased to 147.

On Tuesday (December 17) night, National Citizens Committee spokesperson Samantha Sharmin announced the addition of 40 new members in a press release.

The notification said that with the aim of abolishing the fascist system and implementing a new political settlement and to maintain the spirit (consciousness) of the student-people's uprising, 40 more people have been added as part of the ongoing process of expanding the central committee of the National Citizens Committee. This brings the total number of central members of the National Citizens Committee to 147.

The new members are - Azad Khan Bhasani, Fariba Haider, Tariq Adnan Moon, Tina Nandi, Rummana Jannat, Khan Muhammad Mursalin, Mostaq Ahmed (Shishir), Towhid Tanzim, Anjali Soren, Afsana Chapa, Mir Habib Al Manzur, Syed Jamil, Saddam Hossain, Mir Lokman, Ripa Kundu, Mahmudur Rahman Shuvro, Fariha Sultana Ami, Shakib Shahriar, Abdullah Al Mansur, Belal Ahmed Chowdhury, Engineer Abul Bashar, Emon Syed, Syed Farhad, Rahmat Ullah, Dr. Moniruzzaman, Tahiatun Maryam, Mahbub Alam, Azad Ahmed Patwari, Kazi Ashrafur Rahman, Nafiul Islam, Tahsina Mehreen Anindita, Dr. Jahedul Islam, Tamim Ahmed, Muntasir Mahmud, Tuhin Mahmud, Shawkat Ali, Md. Abdur Rahman, Abdullah Masud Sweet, Sabit Al Hasan and Riaz Morshed.

The Awami League government fell on August 5 in a student-public uprising. The anti-discrimination student movement led this uprising. With the aim of implementing one point of the student-public uprising (abolition of the fascist system and new political settlement), a 55-member National Citizens Committee was formed on September 13 with Nasiruddin Patwari as the convener, Akhtar Hossain as the member secretary and Samantha Sharmin as the spokesperson.

In response to the requests of Hajj agencies and pilgrims, the registration period for both government and private Hajj pilgrims has been extended by 8 more days.

This information was given in a notification signed by Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Religion Mamun Al Faruque on Tuesday (December 17).

The notification said that the registration period for both government and private Hajj pilgrims has been extended from December 19 to December 26, 2024. During this period, initial registration can be done by depositing Tk. 3 lakh and at the same time, the honorable pilgrims are specially requested to make final registration by paying the full amount of the Hajj package.

The notification also said that in view of the requests of Hajj agencies and pilgrims, the said period has been extended. However, the notification also mentioned that there is no further extension of time after that.

It is worth noting that the period was extended by 15 days as the desired Hajj pilgrims did not register on November 28.