BCL men clash with police
At least 30 Bangladesh Chhatra League activists were injured when they had an hour-long clash with police at Islamic University yesterday.
According to campus sources, the clash erupted around 1:00pm when Chhatra League men went on the rampage on campus after activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir brought out a procession.
The IU authorities last night closed the university in the wake of the violence until September 8 and asked all students to vacate the dorms by 10:00am today.
Chhatra League activists vandalised five university buses and ransacked several class rooms during the clash. They also exploded several homemade bombs, spreading panic among students.
Police fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse them. The fighting also left five policemen injured.
Mir Sariful Haque, officer-in-charge of IU Police Station, said his team fired 19 rubber bullets and six teargas canisters to stop the agitating students from attacking the vice chancellor and vandalising university buses.
Of the injured students, Biplob Karmakar, Nazmul Haque Ranu, Emdadul Haque, Abdur Rahman were admitted to Kushtia Medical College Hospital.
Shamim Hossain Khan, convener of IU Chhatra League unit, told The Daily Star that his unit protested the university administration's decision to allow Shibir to bring out a procession on campus.
Shibir activists chanted derogatory slogans about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her administration, said Rizvy Hasan Mahmud, a member of IU Chhatra League convening committee.
Chhatra League activists had blocked the VC's car.
IU VC Prof Abdul Hakim Sarkar said the university did not allow Shibir to hold rallies on campus. "We have permitted students of the university to hold their protests against the heinous Israeli attacks on Gaza," he said.
University Proctor Mahbubur Rahman said Chhatra League activists went overboard while protesting.
No university buses were plying between Kushtia and Jhenidah after the clash.
Additional police forces were deployed at the university.
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