Police took six members of New Dhara Bangladesh into custody after they had been confined in Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s emergency department.
Ramna Division Additional Deputy Commissioner Rabbani confirmed that the six were taken into police custody while injured.
Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge Al Amin said the group was escorted under police guard to Shahbagh police station.
Police identified those taken into custody as senior vice-chair Shanta Farzana, chair Momin Mehedi, vice-chair Dr Nurjahan Nira, joint secretary general Monir Jaman, and organisers Atap Mondal and Haridas Sarkar.
The custody followed clashes between New Dhara Bangladesh and Rashtra Sanglap Forum at the National Press Club area and later at the hospital emergency department.
Emergency treatment services were halted for about one and a half hours during the disturbance, resumed, and were later stopped again amid further violence.
Rashtra Sanglap Forum said its member secretary, Ayas, and several other activists were injured.
Farzana alleged that Ayas led an attack on her group during its torch and protest march, followed by repeated attacks after the group went to the hospital for treatment.
Ayas alleged that Farzana, Mehedi and their associates attacked his group after he protested remarks he said they had made about Abu Sayed and religion.
The supplied evidence does not independently establish which group started the violence or verify either side’s allegations about the alleged remarks.