30 JnU students hurt as police foil demo

At least 30 students of Jagannath University were injured yesterday when police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to foil their demonstration in Dhaka city’s Nayabazar intersection. The JnU students were on their way to the Prime Minister’s office to press home their demand for residential halls. Ten of the students, including three female students, reportedly suffered serious injuries. Of the injured, economics department students Toufik Elahi and Mithun Roy were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Rashedul Islam, a spokesman for the agitated students, said: “We wanted to draw Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s attention to our demands, which include the construction of residential halls on the vacant land of the moved-out Dhaka Central Jail. But the law enforces foiled our movement by beating us mercilessly in collaboration with the university authority.” The JnU students would now boycott all classes and examinations on Tuesday and Wednesday protesting the police attack, he added. Rashedul also demanded the resignation of the university proctor, as he was not able to protect the students. “Instead of solidarity, the proctor incites the police to invade the movement,” he said. DMP Deputy Commissioner for Lalbagh division, Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, said the police used water cannons and teargas shells to disperse student demonstrators near Bangshal around 9:45am. “We could not permit 3,000 to 4,000 students to go the Prime Minister’s Office together. We asked them to give us a delegation list but they did not response. Then police obstructed them. They broke down the police barricade several times,” Ibrahim told the Dhaka Tribune. The students later staged demonstrations at the Tanti Bazaar intersection until 1:45pm, forcing traffic to come to a standstill. They also set fire to some tyres on the road. JnU Chhatra League Secretary SM Sirajul Islam said it was a disgrace that students of the university were being forced to live in rented houses because there was no residential hall at the JnU. He also demanded punishment for the law enforcers who attacked students yesterday. Meanwhile, JnU Proctor Dr Noor Mohammad said: “The university authority is working heart and soul to keep a sound atmosphere on the campus and to resolve the students’ problem.” He urged the students to continue their academic activities. Meanwhile, JnU Teachers Association (JnUTA), the pro-Awami League Teachers Association (Neel Dal), Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Progressive Students Alliances of the university protested the police attack and expressed solidarity with the student movement. The JnU students have been demonstrating since August 1 for allotment of lands on the abandoned premises of Central Jail in Old Dhaka for residential halls named after Bangabandhu and four national leaders.