Jahangirnagar University has shut down all academic activities for an indefinite period following agitation over the deaths of two students that escalated to clashes with police and a mass arrest at midnight.
A notice issued from an emergency syndicate meeting last night asked all students to leave the campus by 10am today.
Around midnight, police arrested 42 students who were protesting in front of the vice-chancellor's residence, Ashulia police Officer-in-Charge Mohsinul Kadir told the Dhaka Tribune.
Earlier, the university filed a case with the station accusing unnamed students of vandalism and harassment of two teachers.
During the day, police fired tear-gas shells and rubber bullets on JU students who were protesting the deaths of two other students in a road accident on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar. The students had blockaded the highway.
Eight students, including the university correspondent of an online news portal, were injured in the police action that also saw a mass baton-charge on the protesters.
On the other hand, the demonstrating students were seen pelting brickbats on the policemen in retaliation.
When the agitating students would not remove the barricades even after a discussion with the JU authorities, police went into action around 5pm.
Police finally cleared the road in the evening.
Dhaka's Additional Superintendent of Police Ashraful Azim said: “The protesters have been removed from the highway, allowing traffic to resume.”
On Friday, a student of Marketing department and another of Microbiology department were killed as a bus hit a human hauler on the Dhaka-Aricha highway.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
