NSU students withdraw demo

- Pragati Sarani blocked for 2 hours

- Authorities assure to meet demands

- Bashundhara office vandalised

- Cops, Rab in action at intervals

North South University (NSU) students this afternoon withdrew their demonstration protesting assault on a fellow.

They took the decision based on assurance of the authorities concerned to meet their demands including compensation for the victim.

Meanwhile, the university authorities have postponed all of its classes and exams for Friday to avert any untoward incident following the protest.

Earlier, wielding banners and chanting slogans, hundreds of students of the privately-run university blocked the Pragati Sarani for two hours since 10:30am, halting traffic, to be met by police action.

Last night, a BBA student was assaulted by security guards of Bashundhara Group, Belal Ahmed, deputy director of the university’s Public Relation Office, told The Daily Star.

In protest, the students took to the streets this morning demanding an apology from Bashundhara security guards, a third-year student of the university told The Daily Star seeking anonymity.

The students occupied the thoroughfare for about two hours before police pushed them inside Bashundhara residential area. There, the students vandalised the Bashundhara head office.

Later, chase and counter-chase between lawmen and the students took place in intervals. Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members were at scene.

Several tear gas canisters were used by the policemen. A riot car and water cannon were also kept at the ready.

DMP Gulshan zone Deputy Commissioner Mostaque Ahmed Khan told The Daily Star at the spot that the situation was under control of the police.

Later in the day, NSU authorities, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Bashundhara Group authorities held an emergency meeting with the students’ representatives at the university’s Proctor’s Office.

In the meeting, the Bashundhara Group and DMP authorities agreed to take appropriate actions against the accused Bashundhara security guards, according to a post published in the university’s Facebook page.

Full compensation (medical and property) would also be provided to the victim student by Bashundhara Group, it read.

It started over a trifling matter

Citing various sources, Belal Ahmed of NSU’s public relation office said that last night a student of his university was assaulted by some security guards over a trifling matter of motorcycle parking.

“The student was on his motorcycle when something fell out of his pocket. Noticing a guard on the spot, the student told him he would stop his motorbike for a few seconds only to pick up his stuff,” he said.

“The security guard then beat up the student for parking in a ‘no parking’ space. Later, over a dozen guards joined him in the assault,” he told The Daily Star.

At one stage, some of the NSU students rushed to the spot and tried to save him which resulted in a scuffle.

Soon after the incident, he was taken to Apollo Hospitals from where he was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Later, the victim was released.

Security guards of Bashundhara Group take up the responsibility of ensuring law and order inside the Bashundhara residential area. They are reputed to have a strong coercion.