At least 15 people were injured when Chhatra League and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists chased each other on Chittagong University campus yesterday.
Chhatra League members later engaged in vandalism and ransacked 150 rooms of two dormitories – Alaol Hall and AF Rahman Hall – dominated by Shibir.
Twelve of the injured were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital while the rest were given first aid at the university’s medical centre, said Dr Jahir Ahmed of the medical centre.
Police sources said the incident took place around 4pm as Chhatra League men beat up students and Shibir members of the two halls before leaving the furniture of the rooms in a muddle and taking away some as well.
Witnessed said some members of the CFC (Choose Friend with Care) faction of Chhatra League got into an altercation with Shibir men in Alaol Hall’s playground over a cricket match, triggering a brawl.
Other CFC members had weapons and firearms when they arrived at Alaol Hall shortly afterwards and began to vandalise rooms indiscriminately.
They fired several blank shots while Shibir men hurled stones at them, said witnesses.
Chhatra League members of Shahjalal and Shah Amanat dormitories soon joined the CFC men and attacked AF Rahman Hall, going on another rampage and damaging around 100 rooms.
Professor Sheikh Jahir Ahmed, provost of Alaol Hall, told the Dhaka Tribune that police managed to calm the activists after around one and a half hours.
Md Salauddin Chowdhury, inspector (investigation) of Hathazari police station, said additional police were deployed at the dormitories to avert further unrest.
Police also detained three students but did not disclose their identities.
Moazzem Hossain James, former assistant secretary of Chittagong University Chhatra League unit, said Shibir men assaulted a junior student to create unrest on the campus but Chhatra League members resisted them.