Footage shows police using tear gas and rubber bullets against activists, as Jill McGivering reports
Police in Bangladesh have used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a huge demonstration by Islamist protesters in the capital Dhaka.
Thousands fled as police took control of the central business district.
Up to half a million supporters of the group Hefazat-e Islam had gathered in the city to call for stronger Islamic policies. Rioters went on to set fire to shops and vehicles.
At least seven people were killed and 60 injured in clashes with police.
‘Hang atheists’
On Sunday, crowds of protesters blocked main roads, isolating Dhaka from other parts of the country.
Chanting “Allahu Akbar!” (“God is greatest!”) and “One point! One demand! Atheists must be hanged”, the activists marched down at least six main roads as they headed for Motijheel, AFP news agency reported.
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Three people have been killed and more than 60 injured in continuing clashes between police and Islamist activists in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka
The clashes came as hundreds of thousands of Hefazat-e-Islam supporters held a rally in Dhaka to demand a greater focus on Islamic values
The group also rallied in Dhaka last month, calling for the death penalty for those who insult Islam, as well as the imposition of stricter Islamic education
Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and, in this instance, a broken piece of brick against protesters
The government, which describes Bangladesh as a secular democracy, has rejected the demands of the group
The area around the city centre’s largest mosque turned into a battleground as police reacted to stone-throwing rioters with tear gas, rubber bullets and truncheons.
Early on Monday, a police spokesman said security forces had secured the area and were searching for protesters hiding in nearby buildings.
Hefazat-e Islam wants greater segregation of men and women, as well as the imposition of stricter Islamic education.
The movement draws its strength from the country’s madrassahs, or religious schools.
The government, which describes Bangladesh as a secular democracy, has rejected the group’s demand for a new law on blasphemy.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said current legislation was adequate.
Muslims make up nearly 90% of the country’s population, with the rest mostly Hindus.
Islamist protest in Dhaka broken up
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