60 hurt as BCL groups clash in DU hall
Left, a room at the Muhsin Hall in Dhaka University is vandalised during a clash of rival Chhatra League groups; right, a Chhatra League activist, who was wounded in the clash, tries to cover his face at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Tuesday.
Staff Correspondent
At least 60 students were injured in a factional clash of the Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League's associate body of students, over stronghold in the Haji Muhammad Muhsin Hall in Dhaka University early Tuesday.The feuding parties traded more than 25 rounds, exploded more than 20 handmade crude bombs and used other lethal weapons such as machetes and iron rods, in the clash that continued for about an hour and a half beginning about 4:30am.
At least 45 Chhatra League leaders who were injured were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.Four of them were admitted to the DMCH, two were admitted to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation hospital.Others were given first aid treatment in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and in the university medical centre.
'There was no one wounded with bullet,' DMCH casualty consultant ABM Abul Matin told New Age.The university proctor, KM Saiful Islam Khan, said that the university authorities had filed a case against 10 students involved in the clash. 'At least 10 students could be expelled from the university.'
The proctor said a three-member committee, headed by the hall's house tutor Abu Taleb, had been instituted to investigate the matter and was asked to submit report within a week.
Nobody was arrested after the filing of the case with the Shahbagh police station about 11:00pm, the Shahbagh police chief said.
The 10 students are Shafiqul Islam, the hall unit Chhatra League president Mohammad Ali, secretary general Mohammad Mohiuddin, Mainul Islam, Aminul Islam Sohag, Abu Bakr Siddique Rahat, Minhazuddin Sohag, Hannan Talukder, Mehedi and Mizanur Rahman, the Shahbagh police said.
Witnesses said groups loyal to the Muhsin Hall unit BCL president Sheikh Mohammad Ali, general secretary Mohammad Mohiuddin, assistant secretary Abu Bakr Siddique Rahat, university unit BCL joint secretary Aminul Islam Sohag, and activist Mainul Islam together attacked the leaders and activists loyal to the hall unit BCL organising secretary Mohiuddin Mahi with firearms and weapons about 4:30am.
The groups began the clash suddenly after the proctor, hall provost Ali Akkas and the Shahbagh police officer-in-charge, who were trying a negotiation between the groups, had left the hall about 3:00am on the assurance of Chhatra League leaders that they would maintain order, the witnesses said.The witnesses said that supporters of Mohiuddin Mahi were forced to leave the hall after the sudden attack.
'We were not prepared at the time. Some of us were asleep as seniors assured us that there would be no clash,' said a student of peace and conflict studies, Mehedi.The combined group of the BCL activists also damaged the windowpanes of the TV room and dining hall, and ransacked at least 20 rooms of the hall.
An injured activist, Mainul Hossain, alleged that they had requested the proctor, house tutors and the police to rescue them but they did not heed them.The police, who had left at 3:00am, rushed back to the hall about 6:00am but entered the building half an hour later, the witnesses said.
The law enforcers during the raid seized a local-made pistol loaded with two bullets and some lethal weapons from the hall premises.The BCL hall unit general secretary, Mohammad Mohiuddin, told New Age they did not have any option but to attack the Mahi group as the people loyal to Mahi were overdoing things. 'We cannot allow any anarchy in the hall.'
The university unit Chhatra League has suspended all the activities of the organisation's Muhsin Hall unit on Tuesday after the clash, said a release in the afternoon.
The hall unit president, Sheikh Mohammad Ali, was expelled from the organisation. The university unit committee suspended the organisation's membership of 10 others — Aminul Islam Sohag, Mohiuddin Mahi, Shafekuzzaman, Minhaj Uddin Sohag, Abu Bakr Siddique Rahat, Mainul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Hannan Talukder, Mehedi and Akramul Haq Nitol, said the release, signed by the university unit BCL president, Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu, and the general secretary, Sazzad Sakib Badsha.Deployment of law enforcers was reinforced as the campus remained tense.Classes were held and other activities continued as usual on the day.
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