BCL factions clash at CU for over 7hrs

Two activists were hacked and police detained 60 after a clash between two shuttle train compartment-based groups of the now dissolved Bangladesh Chhatra League's (BCL) Chittagong University unit over establishing dominance yesterday.

Varsity Xpress (VX) is led by organising secretary SM Ariful Islam and Choose Friends With Care (CFC) vice president Amit Kumar Basu, reports our Chittagong and Chittagong University correspondents.

Witnesses said Sohel Khan of English and Md Kawsar of Bangla were hacked allegedly by CFC men while they were leaving Shahjalal Hall around 1:30pm.

Police got them treated and arrested them in the Taposh Sarkar murder case. CFC supporter Taposh, a first-year Sanskrit student, was shot dead in a clash between VX and CFC on December 14, 2014.

Yesterday's clash, when the rivals hurled stones and brick chips and chased each other, ensued around 6:00am when CFC members barred VX activists from entering the hall, said witnesses.

CFC activists locked the CU main entrance and vandalised two shops. Police unlocked the gate within 20 minutes and fired 10 tear gas shells, they said.

About 10:00am, the CFC men forced teachers off their buses. At 12:30pm, they physically assaulted a marine science teacher Shahidul Azam Sarkar at his dormitory and verbally abused Assistant Proctor Anup Barua's family and threatened of dire consequences if he patronised VX, confirmed a teacher requesting anonymity.

Proctor Prof Siraj-ud-Dollah asked police to identify the perpetrators.

In the afternoon, police detained the students and recovered two sacks of stones, eight sticks and three machetes. Both the leaders' cellphones were found switched off.