20 injured as students of 2 universities clash
Security was beefed up following a clash between the students of American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB) and Southeast University in the city's Banani area yesterday.Photo: STAR
Clashes between the students of two neighbouring private universities yesterday injured at least 20 people, turning the Kemal Ataturk Avenue area into a battlefield that halted smooth vehicular movement for around two hours.
During the violence, the agitating students ransacked over 12 vehicles and vandalised several classrooms of a university.
However, both the university authorities brought allegations against each other of attacking their students.
Police said the clashes took place following an earlier feud among the students of American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB) and Southeast University (SU).
Witnesses said during the clashes, both the groups equipped with sticks made attacks and counter attacks and pelted stones and brickbats to each other forcing all the vehicles in the area got stranded.
The clashers also went on the rampage and vandalised the vehicles creating a severe panic. The clashes started at around 12:30pm.
Ataul Kibria, deputy commissioner of Gulshan zone, told The Daily Star, "The skirmishes on yesterday were followed by a clash that took place on Wednesday between two groups of students of the universities."
Sources said the clashes occurred when the SU security guards barred a female student of AIUB, who went to Southern University with her boyfriend, from entering the university campus on Wednesday.
Md Lutfar Rahman, public relations department director of AIUB, alleged that SU students, led by some Shibir cadres, swooped on the AIUB students all of a sudden, leaving their several students and security guards injured.
He denied the allegations of AIUB students' involvement in the violence.
On the other hand, SU Vice Chancellor Dr Shamser Ali alleged that the AIUB students ransacked many classrooms of his university.
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