Scuffle over going past each other at BCL rally
Five activists injured
At least five activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were injured as two groups of the student organisation clashed at a rally in the capital yesterday.
The injured – Aminul Islam, Ajijul Haque, Tushar, Nayon and Azim – are BCL activists of Dhaka University hall units.
Aminul Islam, who sustained head injury, was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) while the rest received primary treatment there.
According to witnesses, a brawl broke out between BCL activists of DU's Jagannath Hall unit and Dhaka College unit when a rally – brought out to celebrate the 71st founding anniversary of the student organisation – reached near Dhaka Gate area.
Both groups tried to go past each other and at one stage started throwing brickbats.
Later, BCL men of Surja Sen Hall and Salimullah Muslim Hall joined their Jagannath Hall peers and chased the Dhaka College BCL activists towards High Court area, said the witnesses.
The BCL men also allegedly obstructed journalists from taking photos of their scuffle.
President and general secretary of BCL could not be reached over phone.
The BCL men brought out the rally following their programme at the base of Aparajeyo Bangla on DU campus.
Awami League presidium member Tofail Ahmed inaugurated the programme.
Speaking at the programme, the AL lawmaker expressed hope that Bangladesh Chhatra League will win the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election.
“I believe, consensus among the BCL leadership would help the organisation claim victory in the upcoming Ducsu election,” he said.
BCL was supposed to hold the programme on its founding anniversary (January 4), but postponed it after the death of AL leader Syed Ashraf.
Among others, AL Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former presidents Saifur Rahman Shohag, Liakat Shikder, Bahadur Bepari also attended the programme presided over by incumbent president Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon.
Several leaders and activists of DU BCL expressed their resentment as the president and general secretary of the student organisation's DU unit were not given the opportunity to speak at the programme.