At least 17 people were injured and four vehicles vandalised when clashes erupted after students of Barisal University blocked the Barisal-Patuakhali highway near the campus at Karnakathi, protesting the assault of a fellow student by a transport worker.
The injured include 14 students and one teacher of the university and two law enforcers.
According to witnesses, transport workers of a bus reportedly assaulted one Naimuddin Mitu, a BU student of law faculty, after he protested when he was denied a stoppage in front of the university’s main gate.
As the news of the assault spread on the campus, agitated students barricaded the highway, stopping traffic in at least nine routes in Barisal-Bhola-Patuakhali-Jhalakathi-Barguna districts at around 10am.
Soon, police and RAB officials intervened and tried to disperse the protesters from the highway, triggering a clash between law enforcers and university students. The agitated students also threw brickbats at the law enforcers during the clash.
Later, law enforcers charged baton, fired 13 rounds of rubber bullets and eight tear shells to disperse the protesters and took control of the situation after two hours clash.
“We controlled the situation by charging baton and firing rubber bullets and teargas shells and resumed the traffic at 12:30pm,” said Barisal Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (North) Abu Raihan Md. Saleh.
Police constable Siddikur Rahman and RAB havildar Asadul Huq were injured during the clash.
“Some 14 BU students, namely Naimuddin Mitu, Shakhawat Hossain, Amit Hasan, Saifuddin Nasim, Leon, Abdur Razzak from the Law department, Saifuzzaman, Sabuj Russell, Shafikur Rahman, Nishat Abdullah from the political science department, Sajal from Sociology department and Tanvir, Maniruzzaman, Newaz from Soil Science department, have been admitted at the hospital,” said BU Finance Department Chairman Ibrahim Hossain Molla while visiting Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital
“Besides, injured faculty Tanvir Qaisar, assistant professor of English department and secretary of BU Teachers’ Association, were sent home after giving treatment at the hospital,” he added
On other hand, Bahauddin Golap, assistant register and president of the BU officers’ association, alleged that police barred university officials from entering and attending to the injured students SBMCH and a section officer of the university, Subrato Baroi, was also assaulted by Assistant Police Commissioner Mahmud Hossain at the hospital.
BU students alleged that transport workers not only abuse them for demanding students-concession fare, but also tease female students and frequently deny stoppages in front of the BU campus gate.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (North) BMP claimed that the police action was done to control the situation and ease the tension and a tri-party meeting with the university, road transport owners and workers association and law enforcing agencies would be held at afternoon at the BMP office.
