Local people used loudspeakers of a mosque and went on a rampage to foil an anti-rape demonstration of students of Gopalganj university at Ghonapara on Dhaka-Khulna Highway on Thursday.
Since early morning, the agitating students were demanding quick arrest of the culprits involved in the gang-rape of a student that took place at an under-construction government school in Nabinbagh area on Wednesday night.
According to witnesses, at least 30 students and three teachers including the vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology (BSMRUST) were injured in the attacks that lasted for around began around 4:30pm.
Four of the critically injured students were hospitalized.
The attackers used locally-made weapons and sticks to drive away the protesters and the teachers present at the scene.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr AQM Mahbub, Proctor Dr Md Raziur Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Sociology Prof Hasibur Rahman and many students took shelter in nearby houses during the attack.
VC Mahbub termed the attacks unprecedented."We are shocked by the attack. We strongly condemn and protest the attack. We demand exemplary punishment for the perpetrators."
Proctor Raziur Rahman said that they would not sit with the district administration over the matter. “We have sought intervention of the prime minister.”
Police have so far detained three suspects in connection with the incident.
According to police, students and local sources, the VC, Deputy Commissioner Shahida Sultana, Superintendent of Police Ayesha Siddique and Awami League leaders and workers came to the scene to talk to the agitated students around 3pm.
The students did not move from the road and announced to continue the movement.
Later, some leaders and activists of Chhatra League came to the spot around 4:30pm and asked the students to leave the road. They left the scene as the agitators refused to call off the protest.
Then the attackers came from the vicinity with bricks, batons and sticks and attacked the students.
In the second phase, students were attacked inside the campus several times between 6pm and 7pm after the locals used loudspeakers of a mosque to incite attacks on the protesters.
At that time, 25-30 students including the females were beaten up mercilessly, said a student of the Marketing Department.
Another student of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) seeking anonymity said that there had been several attacks in the past when the attackers used the mosque’s loudspeaker.
Earlier, the students blocked a part of the Dhaka-Khulna Highway around 6am after learning about the gang-rape incident.
The protesters issued a four-point charter for demands that includes bringing important areas frequented by university students under CCTV coverage.
The female student was walking with her friend in the Nabinbagh area around 9:30pm on Wednesday.
They were whisked away in an auto-rickshaw. Later, some seven-eight persons took them to the under-construction building of Gopalganj District Administration School and College.
Then they beat up her friend and raped her there.
After the duo escaped, they informed their friends and the university authorities about the matter.
She was then taken to Gopalganj Sadar Hospital for treatment.
When the news of the rape got out, hundreds of students of the university paraded to Gopalganj Sadar police station and issued an ultimatum demanding justice.