BCL on the loose
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men swooped on activists of left-leaning student organisations in at least two educational institutions during their programmes yesterday, a day after the student wing of the ruling party carried out attack on Dhaka University students.
At least 15 students of Chittagong University were injured when BCL activists attacked the procession of Progressive Students' Alliance, protesting Tuesday's BCL attack on DU campus. Meanwhile, BCL attack on students of Murari Chand (MC) College in Sylhet left 13 injured.
Yesterday, the left-leaning student alliance at DU called for a strike at all educational institutions across the country on January 29 protesting Tuesday's assault on DU students.
Apart from the strike, they will hold a rally on the DU campus tomorrow and a nationwide demonstration on January 28, Imran Habib, coordinator of the alliance, made the announcement at Madhur Canteen in the afternoon.
In Chittagong University, the BCL men carried out attacks on the students twice, said witnesses, reports our CU correspondent.
At least 10 students were injured when around 50 BCL activists armed with sharp weapons and sticks swooped on their protest procession crossing the university's central library around 1:00pm, they added.
The university's proctorial body later brought the situation under control.
The second attack came hours after the protesters held a meeting with the CU proctor and lodged a verbal complaint against the BCL men.
Prottoy Nafak, one of the protesters, said they brought out a procession from in front of the tea stall at arts and humanities faculty after meeting the proctor.
When they reached CU Central Shaheed Minar, some 30 to 50 BCL men attacked them, leaving several more injured.
Fazla Rabby, who took first aid following the first attack, was beaten up badly during the second time. Rabby fell unconscious after the attack, Prottoy added.
The injured students include CU unit Chhatra Front convener Fazla Rabby, its secretary Fazal Habib Balia, Chhatra Fedaration presidents Kamrul Hasan and Syeda Airin Akhter, Chhatra Union leaders Kazi Nawrin, Farhana Yasmin Kanak and Prottoy Nafak.
Of them, four including Rabby were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital with critical injuries, said Tipu Sultan, on-duty doctor at the university medical centre.
Kamrul Hasan, a leader of the alliance, termed the attacks organised and pre-planned. He demanded that the authorities bring the attackers to book.
Contacted, Mohammad Alamgir Tipu, former president of recently dissolved CU BCL unit, told The Daily Star, “Whoever will chant slogans against Bangladesh Chhatra League and the prime minister will be resisted.”
When asked, CU Proctor Ali Asgar Chowdhury said they are looking into the matter. “We don't want any violence on our campus over matters of other universities.”
Meanwhile, in Sylhet's MC College, at least 13 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra Front (BCF) were injured as BCL men attacked them during a procession marking BCF's anniversary, reports our Sylhet correspondent.
The injured include Chhatra Front Sylhet metro unit president Rejaur Rahman Rana, general secretary Rubaiyat Ahmed Ruba, MC College unit convener Sadia Noshin Tasnim and member secretary Al Amin.
Witnesses and Chhatra Front activists claimed that BCL men, led by a BCL leader of the college, along with some 50 others attacked them with bamboo sticks and brickbats.
Akhter Hossain, officer-in-charge of Shahparan Police Station, said they are investigating the matter.
Following the attack, Chhatra Front staged a demo in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) yesterday expressed deep concern and condemned the BCL attacks on the students protesting on the DU campus and the allegation of assaulting female students.
They also expressed concern over failure of the DU administration in tackling the situation and condemned their inactivity, reads a press release.
BNP-backed white panel of DU teachers and Nari Pakkha, in press statements, also expressed their concerns.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi University (RU) unit of Progressive Students' Alliance also brought out a procession on the campus yesterday protesting the BCL attack on DU students, reports our RU correspondent.
On Tuesday, BCL men attacked dozens of Dhaka University students who were demonstrating in front of the vice-chancellor's office to press home their four-point demand, including expulsion of some BCL leaders for “harassing” female students a few days ago. BCL, however, claimed that they were the ones who were attacked.
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