Polytechnic students go berserk for 2nd day
Unruly students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute clash with law enforcers for the second consecutive day on campus yesterday.Photo: STAR
At least 50 people were injured in clashes between students and police for the second day yesterday at Dhaka Polytechnic Institute over a student's death in road accident the night before.
The institute authorities suspended classes for an indefinite period and closed the dormitories to avert further violence.
Of those wounded, 20 are students and 26 policemen.
The pitched battles that began at around nine in the morning continued with intervals for about three and a half hours. The otherwise busy Tongi Diversion Road was nearly empty of traffic till 2:30pm, leading to severe gridlock on many other roads in the city.
During the clashes, police charged baton and fired more than 100 tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, who responded with hurling brickbats.
Earlier on Friday night, the agitating students set fire to a bus and damaged 20 vehicles after Ashiqul Alam, a second-year student, was run over and killed by a bus at Satrasta point.
Eyewitnesses said fresh violence broke out at around 8:45am with a group of students going on the rampage on the road in front of the institute. As they were damaging buses, police chased them back to their hostel.
But soon, hundreds of students from other dormitories and adjoining Institute of Glass and Ceramics massed in front of Latif Hostel and held a rally demanding compensation for the dead student's family, construction of speed bumps and a ban on heavy vehicular movement on the roads around the institute.
They also asked for immediate withdrawal of police from the campus.
At around 10:00am, the polytechnic authorities decided to suspend classes and ask the students to vacate hostels by 2:30pm.
Incensed at the decisions, some of the demonstrators started throwing stones at the policemen posted in front of Latif Hostel.
Split into four to five groups, several hundred students took position on the roof of the four-storey dormitory and its different corners. Soon, projectiles were raining down on the law enforcers from every direction and in no time the area became littered with stones and brickbats.
In response, police shot tear gas shells and rubber bullets, and charged baton, leaving more than 20 students injured.
Witnesses said a group of local slum dwellers and youths covering their faces with scarves joined the students in fighting against the cops.
Tension eased after Principal of the institute Shamsul Alam and other teachers met the students at the entrance of Latif Hostel at around 12:30pm and assured them that they would do everything necessary to meet the demands.
Deputy Commissioner of Tejgaon division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Mahbubor Rahman said he and 25 of his men suffered injuries.
He said a case would be filed with Tejgaon [Industrial Area] Police Station in connection with the incident.
Principal Shamsul Alam told The Daily Star that the higher authorities had directed them to close all four dormitories -- Latif Hostel, Zahir Raihan Hostel, Quazi Motahar Hossain Hostel and Chhatri Nibash -- and suspend classes.
Students said they have told that the hostels would be opened before their examinations begin on May 18.
Police opened the road for traffic after students vacated their dormitories by 2:30pm.
Meanwhile, the principal yesterday filed a case with Tejgaon [Industrial Area] Police Station against Shah Alam, driver of the bus that killed the student. Alam was arrested immediately after the accident.
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