On February 9, 2025, police forcibly dispersed Medical Assistant Training School (MATS) students during a protest. Around 20 students and 6 journalists were injured.

The protest occurred after a meeting between MATS students and a health adviser at the Ministry of Health, during which the students asked for better educational conditions and more job placements upon graduation. At the close of the meeting, the students felt their requests had been ignored. They decided to march in protest towards the Secretariat, the government’s administrative offices, effectively blocking the road. A few hours later, students tried to bypass barricades in front of the Secretariat, prompting police to beat them with batons. A chase ensued.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force during a student protest. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians and must respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Students and members of the public must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and also respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/373231/mats-students-face-police-resistance-during
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/trainee-medical-students-block-shahbagh-after-long-march-programme-1064471