At least eight students were injured as two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League Surya Sen Hall unit of Dhaka University were locked in a clash yesterday.
Following the clash police raided the dormitory and recovered twenty crude bombs, six sharp knifes of different sizes and hundreds of iron sticks.
The clash erupted following an altercation between two first-year students of the hall who belong to two factions of the ruling party student’s body during a lunch in the Surya Sen Hall cafeteria.
Tension spread among the supporters of Surya Sen Hall Chhatra League President Mobarak Hossain and Secretary Arefin Siddique Sujan following the altercation which turned into a clash around 3pm, witnesses said.
They said they heard sounds of two crude bombs as the clash escalated.
On information, police, hall provost and house tutors, university proctor and Dhaka University unit Chhatra League leaders including its President Mehedi Hasan and Secretary Omar Sharif rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
The injured were identified as Belal Hossain (a first-year student of Economics Department), Nahid (a first-year student of Finance), Shahzad, Monir (second-year), Abu Sayeed, Sani (fourth year), and Ikbal (first year).
The injured were taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital for primary treatment. All of them belong to the Chhatra League hall unit.
None has been arrested so far in connection with the clash, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ramna Zone) SM Shiblee Noman.
Secretary General of Surya Sen Hall unit Chhatra League Arefin Siddique Sujon denying that there was a clash said it was a trivial issue and a misunderstanding between first-year students.
“The clash was not between the two Chhatra League factions as the secretary and I are very close to each other.”
He also denied the recovery of any weapons possessed by the Chhatra League activists of the dormitory.
Omar Sharif, secretary of Dhaka University Chhatra League unit, also denied any factional clash saying that it was not a big deal and they were taking care of it.
Hall Provost Maksud Kamal said: “The clash erupted over a trivial issue but we have taken the situation under control.”
He, however, said a probe committee would be formed to investigate the matter and to ensure exemplary punishment to the students involved.
