The main stage at the Bangladesh Chhatra League's 75th founding anniversary event collapsed during the opening ceremony in Dhaka.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader was delivering his address at the altar of Dhaka University's Aparajeya Bangla sculpture on Friday when the stage suddenly caved in under the weight of the crowd.
But, Quader resumed his speech soon afterwards, reports bdnews24.com.
Several senior leaders of the ruling party's youth affiliate were injured in the incident.
As the stage began to crumble, BCL leaders standing next to Quader immediately grabbed onto him to protect him from any harm.
Quader later got back on his feet and inaugurated a commemorative procession with a short speech as police normalised the situation.
"After 1975, many of us bled and suffered serious injuries while working for the Chhatra League. Today, the stage broke down but it's not a big issue."
But Quader was critical of the number of people on stage at the time. "We don't need so many leaders on the stage. We need more workers. A Smart Bangladesh will need smart workers. During any event, there seem to be more people on the stage than in front of it."
