At least 300 students, five teachers, JnU (Jagannath University) unit BCL president and secretary, seven journalists and 12 policemen were injured following a fierce clash between students and police over the pupils’ attempt to take control of JnU Tibbet Hall at 10am on Saturday.
The injured were rushed to the university medical centre, National Hospital, Sumona Hospital and Solimulla Medical College Hospital. Witnesses said several thousand agitated students, led by JnU unit BCL under the banner of “Hall Uddhar Committee”, closed the main gate at 8am and staged a sit-in for about one hour in front of the main gate in a bid to recover their dormitories from land-grabbers. Later, they brought out a procession at Rai Saheb Bazar Square.
When they tried to headed towards Islampur, where the Tibbet Hall is located and has been grabbed allegedly by Hazi Selim, the member of the Parliament of Dhaka-7 constituency, police stopped them at the university’s main gate, leading to a scuffle. The students were led by FM Sariful Islam and SM Sirazul Islam, the president and secretary of JnU unit’s Bangladesh Chatra League.
Witnesses said police had charged truncheons while the students retaliated with brickbats. Dispersed, the students damaged at least 10 vehicles near the Bahadur Shah Park area and also destroyed windowpanes of Bangladesh Bank office adjacent to the campus. The police, then, fired teargas shells and charged truncheons again that left over 300 students injured. The students kept on hurling brickbats at police and chases and counter chases took place. There was panic in Old Dhaka and traffic movement was also hit.
Witnesses said the police also beat up female students and a few pedestrians. The five injured teachers are assistant professor Md Nasir Uddin, the chairperson of the English department, professor Ali Noor, the chairman of accounting department, Abu Saleh Sikander of Islamic history department, assistant professor and proctor Abdur Rouf and professor Md Abul Kalam Azad, the lecturer of microbiology and biotechnology department.
The Jagannath University Teachers’ Association (JnUTA) has condemned the incident at a press briefing at 2 pm. Professor Sarker Ali Akkas, the president of (JnUTA), said, “We condemn the police attack severely. We want immediate withdrawal of Harun, the deputy commissioner of Lalbag zone and Maniruzzaman, OC of Kotowali Police, in the next 24 hours. We, the teachers and students, shall bring out a procession from the campus at 10 am in protest against the clash.”
When contacted, JnU vice chancellor Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman said, “We have not agreed to the demands of the students, who should not take possession of any hall. It is the responsibility of the government. We surely condemn the police action on the students. We want intervention of the Prime Minister in this regards.”
Courtesy of The Independent
