Titumir students go berserk

Police try to control agitating students of Titumir College in Dhaka yesterday as they went on a rampage and vandalised 150 vehicles following the rumour of a fellow student's death in a road mishap. Photo: Banglar Chokh

Irate students of Titumir Government College yesterday vandalised over 150 vehicles in the capital's Mohakhali, Gulshan and Banani following a rumour that a female student of the college was killed in a road accident.
Following the mayhem, vehicular movement in the areas remained suspended for one and a half hours causing untold sufferings to hundreds of passengers.
Police said Shamima Sultana, a first year student of Daffodil College at Mohakhali, sustained minor injuries after a private car hit her near the main entrance of Titumir College while she was crossing the road to meet her elder sister studying at the college.
Sultana was rushed to the Metropolitan Hospital and released after receiving first aid.
When the rumour of death of a college student spread on Titumir College campus, angry students took to the street and went on a rampage at Chairmanbari, Banani rail crossing and Mohakhali bus terminal at around 9:30am.
They damaged over 150 vehicles, mostly buses.
On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
College Principal Prof AKM Zafar Hossen told The Daily Star that state minister for home affairs Tanjim Ahmed Shohel Taj and he visited Sultana at her residence at Mohakhali.
He said although Sultana is not a student of Titumir College, he felt it was his responsibility to visit her as the accident occurred in front of the college.
Policemen had been deployed in front of the college to avert any untoward incident.
Officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station Reajul Hossain Reja said they were making preparations to file a case against over 1,200 students of Titumir College on charge of vandalising vehicles.
However, none was arrested, he added.