| Gunbattle at JU again:BCL factions trade shots; 5 bullet-hit among 50 hurt 
Two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League locked in a fierce clash on Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus yesterday that left at least 50 people injured, five of them with bullets. The sporadic clashes continued till filing this report at 2:00am today starting from around 2:00pm yesterday.
Witnesses said the clashes began between the two groups when cadres of Ayon group swooped on Jony group at Bottola, in front of Maulana Bhasani Hall, over establishing supremacy on campus.
A group of unidentified men at one stage also attacked the residents of acting Proctor Prof Md Nasiruddin and General Secretary of Jahangirnagar University Teachers Association Prof Shamsul Alam Selim.
Police raided Bangabandhu Hall and AFM Kamaluddin Hall late last night but failed to seize any arms except a few iron rods. Police, however, arrested 19 students of Ayon group, sources at the Savar Police Station said.
Chhatra League central committee suspended all activities of JU Chhatra League unit for a month more following the clashes. Last month, the two Chhatra League factions clashed with each other on campus that left 30 students injured. The central committee had then suspended activities of its JU unit for a month.
"A few activists of Ayon group beat up Nayan, an activist of Jony group, in Bangabandhu Hall in the morning. Hearing the news, activists of Jony group launched a hectic search for the attackers on campus and finally they beat up some activists of Ayon group in Bangabandhu Hall around noon," a student said.
In the meantime, a few activists of Jony group took position in Bottola area and the activists of Ayon group attacked them with sharp weapons that left five injured.
Following the attack, over 200 activists of Jony group launched an attack on the activist of Ayon group with firearms at Battola. Later, chases and counter chases took place between the two groups in Bangabandhu Hall, Kamal Uddin Hall, Bhasani Hall and Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall and in front of the Social Science Faculty.
Both groups used firearms, iron rods, hockey sticks, machetes and sticks during an hour-long clash that turned the campus into a battlefield. Fifteen of the injured, including bullet-hit students were admitted to different hospitals and clinics in the capital and in Savar.
The bullet-hit students are Sagar and Robin, student of masters' degree in economics, Sujan, a second-year honours student, and Rubel and Sohel, first-year students.
Rubel and Sohel, received bullets in their legs, and were undergoing treatment at Pongu Hospital in the capital. Condition of two other injured students--Shubho and Sobhon--was stated to be critical at Enam Medical College and Hospital in Savar. Sajib, Khokan, Rony, Ripon and Jihan were also admitted to that hospital.
An emergency syndicate meeting was held in the evening to discuss the campus situation but the vice-chancellor of the university was not available to make any comments.
After the meeting, Assistant Proctor Abdullah Hel Kafi said they will stop such clashes by any means but he could not say how. "It is a political conflict and this issue will end through the interference of the top leaders of Awami League," he told The Daily Star.
Campus sources said the conflict began between the two groups as Adnan Bhuiyan Ayon, leader of the Ayon group, gave shelter to former JCD activists in JU Chhatra League unit.
Additional police were deployed on campus and police will conduct raids in the halls soon, police sources said. Witnesses said though all Chhatra League activities were banned in the university, both the factions have been showing off their muscles for the last few days.
Executive council of JU teachers association in an emergency meeting placed four demands before the university authorities including immediate arrest of those who attacked teachers' homes. | |