Mansur Khalid, Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station, told The Business Standard that the students had gathered at the Secretariat and attempted to force their way inside, with some trying to scale the walls. Police dispersed the crowd, but tensions remained high.
Reports claimed that police fired two blank shots to control the situation, but the officer dismissed these claims, calling them "disinformation" and stating that police had not used lethal force.
Earlier, a four-member delegation from the university had entered the Secretariat to meet with the education adviser, scheduled for 4:30 PM. However, a larger group of waiting students became involved in a heated verbal exchange with police, which quickly escalated into a physical altercation when officers used batons.