A man died and 20 others were injured yesterday in a two-hour-long clash between students of Jagannath University (JnU) and traders of Patuatuli Market.
Deceased Sunil Ghosh, 65, a sweeper of the Sadarghat branch of Janata Bank, suffocated in tear gas used by law enforcers to calm the fury, Kamal Uddin Ahmed, proctor of the university, told The Daily Star.
Doctors, however, could not ascertain the reason of the death instantly and said they would be able to confirm it after receiving the autopsy report.
According to police, locals and the university authorities, the clash began around 2:30pm when six JnU students belonging to the pro-Awami League student body Bangladesh Chhatra League was locked into an altercation with Imran Hossain, 20, an employee of Nur Optics located on the ground floor of Nurul Haque Tower in the capital's Patuatuli area.
Imran resisted the students when they attempted to take away six sunglasses without paying for them, they added.
Kazi Jan-e-Alam, a spectacles trader, said, “At one stage of the altercation the Chhatra League cadres stabbed Imran in the abdomen. They also stabbed Mithu, 25, a customer who stepped up to save the salesman.”
He said traders of the market rushed the injured to Mitford Hospital while the attackers escaped the spot. Imran was later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition turned critical.
Soon after this, all traders and employees of Patuatuli, shutting down their shops, came out on the streets and staged angry demonstrations.
Witnesses said the agitated traders at one stage swooped on the university and vandalised furniture and windows, indiscriminately beat up students with iron rods and bamboo sticks, pelted brickbats and vandalised several vehicles.
They also set fire to tyres and other materials on the road.
At this, general students of the university retaliated with brick chips and sticks. Chases and counter chases took place at that time. The students also damaged some 20 shops of the market.
Traffic movement from Sadarghat to English Road remained suspended during the clash while business establishments were shut down to avert further damage.
Police initially stood by as onlookers for around an hour as they were small in number, said JnU Vice-Chancellor Mejbah Uddin Ahmed, who added that soon as reinforcements arrived they charged batons and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the clashing people. Sunil Ghosh died at that time.
Sanjay Ghosh, a son of the deceased, told reporters that his father was there around 3:30pm to make some photocopies.
“He [Sunil] fell sick due to the tear gas and sat down on the ground holding his chest and soon fainted,” said Sanjay, adding that when his father was rushed to Mitford Hospital, doctors declared him dead.
Khurshid Hossain, deputy commissioner of Lalbagh division, told The Daily Star that additional forces had been deployed in the area to avert further clashes. None had been arrested yet in connection with the violence, he added.
Meanwhile, in an immediate move, the JnU authorities suspended the six students who allegedly ignited the whole tragedy at the spectacles shop. They are Jalal and Imran of sociology department, Himel of geography department, and Rocky, Sohel and Binoy Sarkar, whose departments could not be known immediately.
All classes and examinations scheduled for Thursday have also been suspended, said VC Mejbah Uddin Ahmed.
Talking to The Daily Star, he said suspension of the six students was only an initial move. Punitive measures would be taken against them following the report of a probe body, which is likely to be formed today.
The JnU proctor said the university would file a case over the vandalising of the property of the university.