The entire area of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) was surrounded by army, navy, RAB, and police personnel after violence erupted on Tuesday among students over demands to end student politics on campus, which left around 30 injured.
Two student groups clashed at Kuet over demands to ban student politics.
Eyewitnesses reported that, in the afternoon, students marched around the university halls chanting slogans such as "No student politics here at Kuet," "Our demand is one, a politics-free campus," and "No place for student politics on this campus."
The situation escalated when one group came into confrontation with another near the central mosque. A clash between the two groups soon ensued, which later spread to roads adjacent to Kuet. Tension currently prevails on the campus.
Rahatul Islam, a civil engineering student from Kuet’s 20th batch, said: "After approaching the vice-chancellor with demands to end student politics, we were threatened by Chhatra Dal members. Senior students were insulted, and after we left the vice-chancellor’s office, the Chhatra Dal members attacked us without provocation. We chased the attackers out of campus, only for them to return with BNP supporters and launch another assault, injuring numerous students."
Ishteyak Ahmed Ishti, former head of the Khulna metropolitan unit of the Chhatra Dal, claimed that his members blocked an attack on regular students by members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, which led to the clashes.
Meanwhile, Arafat Hossain Millon, president of the Khulna metropolitan Islami Chhatra Shibir, said his group had no connection to the incident and condemned what he said was an attack on regular students by members of the Chhatra Dal and BNP.
The officer-in-charge (OC) of Khulna’s Khan Jahan Ali police station, Md Kabir Hossain, confirmed that five people were arrested at the scene. He added that the army, navy, police, and RAB were working together to control the situation.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police Nazmul Hasan Razib also mentioned that the military and law enforcement were working in coordination to manage the situation, with many students reported injured.