VC confined in CU, 40 hurt in Jagannath Univ
Staff Correspondent
Violence on Saturday spilled over to two more public universities after Jahangirnagar University centring on political enmity and in-fighting of the Chhatra League over stranglehold on campuses.
At least 40 students were injured in the clashes in Jagannath University. Students in Chittagong University had laid siege to the vice-chancellor’s house from morning till night.
The Chittagong University vice-chancellor, Badiul Alam, had been confined to his house till 9:30pm by the activists of the ruling Awami League’s associate body, Bangladesh Chhatra League, for his ‘failure to act against violence by Shibir activists.’
At least 30 students were injured in Chhatra League in-fighting in Jagannath University in Dhaka on Saturday and the feuding Chhatra League groups faced off each other in Jagangirnagar University after Friday’s clash.
Chittagong University was shut for the day on Saturday as the Chhatra League men locked up the gates of the administrative and faculty buildings and laid siege to the vice-chancellor’s house.
Chhatra League supporters also had blocked the campus roads by starting fire with tyres in the morning and went out on demonstrations shouting slogans for the removal of the vice-chancellor.
All the university buses and two shuttle trains which carry students from outside the campus had been stranded near the main gate as the Chhatra League did not let them into the campus.
The police superintendent, Kamrul Ahsan, said a large number of policemen had been deployed on the campus as the situation was tense.
Chhatra League activists have given the vice-chancellor 48 hours to leave office.
Campus sources said tension mounted in the university after Islami Chhatra Shibir had driven out Chhatra League activists from Hassan Cottage on the campus, which has traditionally been a stronghold of the activists loyal to Jamaat-e-Islami.
In Jagannath University in Dhaka, 40 students were injured as the factions led by the university unit president and the general secretary clashed over ‘theft of a mobile.’
Supporters of the university unit Chhatra League president Kamrul Hasan Ripon and general secretary Gazi Abu Sayeed attacked each other after a mediation attempt failed. Both the groups used hockey sticks, clubs and brickbats in the clash. Two crude bombs were also exploded during the clash.
The police reached the place after 15 minutes and dispersed the groups by charging at them with truncheons and firing teargas shells.
Supporters of Ripon then took shelter in the Science Building and the supporters of Sayeed went out of the campus. Both the groups clashed again at around 3:00pm in the Victoria Park area. The clash then spilled over to Banglabazar, Sadarghat and Patla Khan Lane.
The university correspondent of Sangbadpatra, Ariful Huq Rupak, also sustained injuries in the clash. The vice-chancellor, Abu Hossain Siddique, said he would take steps to contain violence in the university.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal also met the vice-chancellor and demanded that congenial academic atmosphere should be ensured in university and the persons responsible for the incident should be punished.
After Friday’s gunfight in Jahangirnagar University, the police raided three halls of residence. The police arrested two activists loyal to the Chhatra League faction led by the unit president and general secretary when that tried attack their rivals in the mooring. Activists Shafin and Amin were released after three hours.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
