Tensions between students of Dhaka University (DU) and seven affiliated government colleges escalated late Sunday night and continued into the early hours of Monday.
At least five individuals were injured during the clashes that began at 11pm and extended beyond 1:30am.
The conflict started when several hundred students from the affiliated colleges staged a sit-in at the Science Lab intersection for about four and a half hours.
Their demonstration was driven by a set of five demands they presented to the DU authority.
Around 10:30pm Sunday, the protesters marched towards the residence of DU Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mamun Ahmed, and continued their protest in front of the Mukti O Gonotontro Toron at Nilkhet intersection.
The situation intensified when hundreds of DU students emerged from various halls and chased the protesting students away from the Nilkhet intersection.
The affiliated college students regrouped and counter-chased the DU students.
By midnight, the police intervened, throwing sound grenades to disperse the crowd and control the escalating situation.
Four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members were deployed to maintain order.
The demands
The affiliated colleges’ students’ demands include:
- Abolition of the unreasonable quota system in the admission test of the seven colleges from the 2024-25 session.
- Ensuring that admissions do not exceed classroom capacities.
- Considering the teacher-student ratio in admissions.
- Deducting marks for wrong answers in the admission test.
- Depositing admission fees into a new account, separate from DU, to ensure transparency.
Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, arrived at the scene around 12:30am to mediate.
He managed to speak to DU students on the road in front of New Market but was unable to approach the students from the seven colleges due to tear gas.
Pro VC Mamun Ahmed clarified the earlier incident, saying: “They came to talk to me. I told them to come in pairs, but more than fifty students forced their way inside. No mistreatment occurred.”
Despite the turmoil, Professor Ahmed expressed regret late at night and assured that discussions would resolve the issues.
A meeting regarding the students’ demands is scheduled for Monday at 12:30pm.
Latest situation
As of the last update at 2:30am, DU students had taken positions in front of the university’s Mukti O Gonotontro Toron, while the affiliated college students, including those from Eden College, remained at New Market.
The police continued to use sound grenades to prevent further clashes.
Due to the unrest, all exams and classes at DU have been postponed for Monday.
