At least 40 people, including three journalists, were injured during a turf war between two groups of the Bangladesh Chhatra League on the Jagannath University (JnU) campus on Monday.
The journalists were identified as Latiful Islam, the campus correspondent of Daily Samakal, Rakib, the university correspondent of Daily Sangbad, and BD24report.com correspondent Sanaullah Fahad.
Witnesses said members of the Chhatra League's suspended committee were attacked by their rival group in the morning at Shanto Chattar, triggering a pitched battle.
The clashes started around 11am and continued intermittently till the evening.
Supporters of the university unit president and general secretary clashed with members of the rival group seeking posts in future committees of the student front, when the latter tried to enter the campus. Fifteen people were injured in the clash before police intervened.
Chhatra League activists also attacked five general students for taking photos.
The two groups fought again around 3pm, hurling brickbats at each other. Witnesses said they had heard at least seven explosions during the clash. Police fired teargas shells to contain the situation.
Later around 6:30pm, members loyal to the suspended committee's president and secretary, gathered on the campus armed with improvised bombs, Chinese axe, machetes, sticks and sharp weapons.
The atmosphere on the campus remained tense all throughout.
The injured were sent to the University Medical Centre, Sumona Hospital, National Medical College, and the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Sheikh Joynul Abedin Rasel, general secretary of the suspended committee, said: "We do not know what is happening on the campus. The Chhatra League central committee should know about it. We will not take responsibility."
Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon, central committee president of the ruling Awami League’s student wing, said: "We gave them a chance to correct themselves by suspending the committee once. We will investigate the incident and take tough action."
JnU Assistant Proctor Mustafa Kamal claimed that there had been no clash on the campus. "Two groups of students hurled brickbats at each other over taking position on the campus. Nothing happened on the campus," he claimed.
"We will go through the video footages of the incident and take action against those involved in the clashes," he added.
Meanwhile, Kotwali zone Assistant Commissioner Badrul Riyad said three platoons of police were deployed to take control of the situation. "We are filing a case," he said.
