Ducsu VP Nur, 27 others injured in attacks

Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Vice President Nurul Haque Nur and 27 others were injured in an attack allegedly carried out by activists of Chhatra League and Muktijuddha Mancha on Sunday. 

VP Nur along with the others was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) emergency unit for treatment around 2 pm while DU proctor arrived at the spot after 45 minutes of the incident. 

According to eyewitnesses, Ducsu VP office was also vandalized during the attacks.

One of the injured, Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC) Convener, also one of the quota reform protestors, Hasan Al Mamun said: "I was attacked at first by the activists of Muktijuddho Mancha near the Madhur canteen."

He fears that one of his legs might be broken as he can barely move it.

Around 5.30 pm Mamun told Dhaka Tribune that two activists of his platform, APM Suhel and Tuhin Farabi, were in life support at DMCH as they were thrown from the roof-top of the one-story Ducsu building by the perpetrators. 

DMCH Director Brigadier General AKM Nasir Uddin told Dhaka Tribune: “We have treated 28 so far, and 14 with minor injuries have been released already. Injured Farabi, an activist of BGSRPC, was given artificial ventilator as he faced abnormality in breathing.”

“We have also done CT scans on Farabi twice but did not find anything critical, but just to be on the safe side, we have kept him in Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” he said. 

 DMCH director also confirmed that no one was in life-support. 

The attack was made by a faction of Muktijuddho Mancha led by its President Aminul Islam Bulbul and General Secretary Al Mamun. 

Injured BGSRPC Joint Convener Rashed Khan said: "The second attack was carried by Muktijuddho Mancha as well as Chhatra League members of Dhaka University unit inside VP Nur’s office at Ducsu."

The reason behind the attack 

At 1 pm on Sunday, Muktijuddho Mancha gathered in front of Madhur Canteen after holding their pre-scheduled program at Raju Memorial Sculpture at TSC.

VP Nur along with his 20-25 activists was passing the same place at that time and both the groups locked into an altercation. 

After the heated speeches, Nur entered the Ducsu building and the watch-men locked the collapsible gate behind him but then the Mancha members started throwing brickbats towards Ducsu building. 

Following the incident of throwing brickbats Chhatra League President Sonjit and Assistant General Secretary of Ducsu Saddam entered the building. Muktijuddho Mancha also joined in with DU unit Chhatra League. 

Entering the building, Sonjit, Saddam and Muktijuddho Mancha activists went directly to the VP’s room. 

Saddam asked Nur: “Why did you bring outsiders with you inside Ducsu? Nur replied that he had some security concerns. At one stage an altercation started between Sonjit and Nur which later turned into a violent clash. 

Nur asked Sonjit to leave the Ducsu building as he does not belong to the students' union. This angered DU Chhatra League President and he instructed his followers to beat quota reform protesters.

Two of Nur’s fellows were beaten immediately at the time, and the attack was carried out when Sonjit and Saddam left the scene. 

One eyewitness, seeking anonymity said: “Before leaving Ducsu building Sonjit instructed his followers to beat quota reform protesters lightly.”

When asked, Chhatra League’s DU unit General Secretary Saddam Hussain said: "This is their internal conflict [between quota reform protesters and Muktijuddho Mancha activists]. I would request both parties to resolve the issue between themselves and not create any unrest inside the campus.”

He urged DU authorities to take action against those involved with vandalizing the Ducsu building.

Sonjit was unavailable for comments though he posted on his facebook profile that general students and Muktijuddho Mancha stated that Nur has mental issues.

Aminul Islam Bulbul, president of Muktijuddho Mancha also a relived vice president of Central Chhatra League claimed that there was no connection of his platform with the incident. 

DU Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani said: “The injured are sent to DMCH including VP Nur.”

Act condemned 

Jahangir Kabir Nanak, presidium member of Awami League, after visiting the injured at DMCH said: “Regardless of the name of the party, the current government will not spare anyone. No one will be exempted in order to protect the environment of education. All will be brought under the law.”

Till the filing of the report, there was a protest going on against the whole act in Rajshahi University. 

Meanwhile, as part of expressing immediate reaction against the attack, left-leaning student bodies’  Progressive Students’ Alliance announced that the attackers were unwanted inside the campus.