Case Filed Against 1,200 Unidentified Individuals for Vandalism and Clashes at Secretariat

Dhaka, July 23, 2025: A case has been filed against 1,000 to 1,200 unidentified individuals, including students, in connection with vandalism, clashes, and attempts to disrupt government operations at the Bangladesh Secretariat. The case was lodged late Tuesday night (July 22, 2025) by the police, following protests demanding the resignation of the Education Adviser and Education Secretary over the postponement of HSC and equivalent examinations.

According to Shahbag Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khalid Monsur, the First Information Report (FIR) includes charges of obstructing police duties, hindering government operations, vandalism at the Secretariat, and damaging government property.[

The protests were triggered by the late-night announcement on Monday (July 21, 2025) to postpone the HSC examinations, following a tragic incident where an Air Force fighter jet crashed at Milestone School and College in Dhaka, killing 29 people, including students, and injuring over 150. The announcement, made around 3 a.m., caused confusion among students who were asleep at the time, leading to widespread frustration across the country. On Tuesday (July 22, 2025), students from various educational institutions in Dhaka gathered in front of the Secretariat around 2:30 p.m., demanding the resignation of Education Adviser Professor Dr. C.R. Abrar and Education Secretary Siddique Zobair. After chanting slogans for over an hour and a half, the students broke through the main gate of the Secretariat and entered the premises, where they vandalized at least 20 vehicles. Police and army personnel responded by driving the students out, using batons, sound grenades, and tear gas. The students, in turn, threw bricks and stones at the law enforcement personnel from outside the Secretariat The clashes continued from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with students regrouping at the GPO intersection and High Court intersection near the Secretariat. Police used tear gas and chased the students to disperse them, while the students retaliated by throwing bricks. At least 75 students were injured during the confrontations and received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Several police and army personnel were also injured. The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Md. Saifuzzaman, accepted the FIR on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) and ordered the submission of an investigation report by August 28, 2025. The case was filed by Sub-Inspector Golam Mukti Mahmud of the DMP’s Bangladesh Secretariat Security Division.