BCL men ‘attack’ JCD activists on DU campus
Nine Chhatra Dal activists were injured when they were attacked allegedly by Chhatra League men at Dhaka University yesterday.
The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal men came under attack when they went to the campus with their newly elected leaders for the second straight day. The JCD is the pro-BNP student body.
The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, pro-Awami League student body, also beat up three university reporters and snatched the mobile phone of one of them when they were capturing the incident.
According to witnesses, newly elected General Secretary of central JCD Iqbal Hossain Shyamol and some activists of the organisation went to Madhur Canteen around 10:30am, but they had to leave as the BCL men chanted slogans against them.
Shyamol then moved to Hakim Chattar on the campus and was talking to several electronic media journalists.
Riding motorcycles, around 40 BCL men went there at that time and BCL DU unit President Sanjit Chandra Das, who was already present there, asked the JCD activists to leave the campus immediately, the witnesses said.
The JCD men left the spot and moved to Shoparjito Shadhinota premises around 12:30pm.
Some 50 to 60 BCL activists swopped on the JCD activists soon after its General Secretary Shyamol left the area, the witnesses said.
The attackers punched, kicked and beat up the JCD men with iron rods, cricket stamps and sticks, injuring nine JCD men.
The wounded are Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall unit JCD Joint Secretary Khorshed Alam Sohel, and organisation’s activists Kamrul, Firoz, Shahin, Masum, Mahbub Shahin, Fahim, Shajal and Nayan.
They were undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Of them, Sohel and Kamrul were in a critical condition, said central JCD President Fazlur Rahman Khokon.
Talking to The Daily Star, Shyamol said BCL activists attacked the JCD men without any provocation from their side. At least 30 activists were hurt in the attack, he claimed.
He also alleged that the BCL men snatched mobile phone and wallet from one of their activists.
He demanded the university administration ensure punishment of the attackers.
The three university reporters who came under the BCL attack were Rahatul Islam Rafi, of daily Protidiner Sangbad, Afsar Munna, of Business Bangla, and Anisur Rahman, of Student Journal.
Anisur sustained injuries to his left ear and was undergoing treatment at the university medical centre. He took primary treatment at DMCH.
Expressing sorrow over the attack on the journalists, DU BCL President Sanjit claimed that there were no directives from them to launch any attack and some “overenthusiastic” BCL men might have carried out the attack.
Every student organisation has its right to run their activities on the campus in a democratic manner, he said, adding that they would identify the attackers soon and take organisational action in this regard.
Contacted, DU Proctor Prof AKM Golam Rabbani said they would take action if any written complaint was filed in connection with the attack.
Ducsu Vice-President Nurul Haque Nur yesterday condemned the attack and urged the authorities to take action against the attackers.
The BCL attacked leaders and activists of different organisations and protests of students recently and damaged the democratic environment on the campus, he alleged in a written statement.
Meanwhile, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader asked BCL leaders and activists not to make headlines for any wrongdoing, reports BSS.
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said they should be subjects for positive news items.
He was addressing a programme organised by the AL sub-committee on relief and social welfare at DU’s Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban to mark the 73th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
To mark the birthday, 73 students of DU Bangla department were given scholarships at the function. The PM is an alumnus of the department.
Quader asked the BCL men to do politics being imbued with the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who dreamt of building a society free from corruption, deprivation and injustice.
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