Several injured as suspected Chhatra League activists swoop on anti-Modi protestors on DU campus

Several activists of the Pragatishil Chhatra Jote were injured after alleged members of Chhatra League attacked their protest program against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in front of the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) on Dhaka University campus today.

At least 20 activists, including Central Committee President of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front Masud Rana, were injured in the attack after the incident occurred around 5:30pm today, reports our DU correspondent.

Earlier on Thursday, Bangladesh Chhatra League's (BCL) Dhaka University unit President Sanjit Chandra Das at a rally had threatened anti-Modi protestors saying he would "peel off their skin" if they carried out protests in the campus.

Among the injured, 11, including Masud, were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Except for Masud, the remaining 10 are seriously injured, said a press note from the left-leaning organisations.

"We had a scheduled protest program against Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh, and as part of it, we were supposed to burn an effigy of the Indian prime minister. During the program, several Chhatra League leaders and activists attacked us with sticks, brickbats, and broken branches," Al Kaderi Joy, convener of Progressive Students' Alliance, told The Daily Star.

Photo: Collected

"After the first attack, we stood there again. Then they (Chhatra League) once attacked again. Around 20 of our leaders and activists were injured," said Joy.

"Members of a leftist group fought among themselves on the campus and in the process, some of our men were injured while caught between them. We have nothing to do with the attack," Chhatra League General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee told this correspondent.

During the clash, two journalists were injured. They are Rubel Rashid, photographer of the Daily Desh Rupantor, and Jibon Ahmed of Daily Manab Zamin.