'March for Khilafat' begins, police fire tear gas-sound grenades

The banned group Hizb ut-Tahrir brought out a rally called "March for Khilafat" near the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram in the capital. The rally began right after the Jummah prayers, with participants holding banners of the group.

The procession started from the mosque’s north gate, moving towards Paltan and then to the Bijoynagar water tank. Police fired tear gas shells to break up the crowd, and Hizb ut-Tahrir members tried to resist, resulting in a clash and scuffles between the two sides.

After the Friday prayers, thousands of Hizb ut-Tahrir supporters gathered on the road in front of the north gate of Baitul Mukarram and began their march, chanting the slogan, "One way to freedom, Khilafat Khilafat."

When law enforcement tried to block their path, the supporters pushed forward. The police were unable to stop them at Paltan intersection. As the procession moved towards the Bijoynagar water pump intersection and then to Paltan, the police fired two rounds of tear gas. Undeterred, the march continued towards Paltan, where the police launched three sound grenades.

At the time of writing the report , both sides were facing each other at Paltan.