At least 150 people were injured in a series of clashes between students of Barisal University (BU) and Government Brojomohun (BM) College over a trivial matter from midnight to 5am yesterday.
Several buses of both institutions and administrative buildings, student dormitories, and other establishments were vandalized during the clashes.
However, the situation came back to normal as soon as military personnel arrived at the scene.
The clashes began at 11pm on Tuesday, according to local sources. Most of the injured have been undergoing treatment at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. Assistant Director of the hospital Dr SM Saiful Islam said they are taking adequate measures to treat the patients.
At least three buses of both educational institutions were vandalized, authorities said.
Students of BM College held a press conference yesterday claiming local people had detained two students on an allegation of extortion. Later, a group of students arrived at the scene to free the duo—leading to a clash. They also put forward a seven-point demand seeking the trial of those responsible for the entire clash.
Sources and witnesses said some BM college students went to the house of BU student Tasnuva Chowdhury Joya on Baptist Mission Road in Barisal City on Monday morning as there has been a dispute between her family and a neighbour over a land.
An altercation broke out between Joya and the BM College students over the matter, and at one stage she informed her BU fellows seeking help. The BU students boarding a bus rushed to the spot and allegedly attacked the college students.
On Tuesday afternoon, students from both institutions formed counter-human chains demanding justice for the injured.
The BM college students started desperately to find the BU students in the city and beat up two of them in the Bouttal area around 10pm on Tuesday.
At one stage, the injured took shelter in the Bouttal police outpost and informed their fellow students who rushed there in a bus. The BM college students allegedly beat up BU students there, leaving some 20 injured.
Being informed, over 1000 BU students coming in buses and trucks gathered in Bangla Bazar area with brickbats, sticks, and other objects and then went to the BM College on foot, two kilometers off the spot, and carried out massive vandalism on the campus from 1am to 3am, UNB reported.
The BU students vandalized the administrative building, three student dormitories, classrooms, and other establishments. Initially, the BM students tried to resist but later retreated due to the low number of students.
Around 3am, the Army members rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after a one-hour effort. Two army members were reportedly injured in the clash.
Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said over 100 people were injured in the series of clashes, and 23 of the injured were admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital.
Dr Unmesh Roy, head of BU's Bangla department, told UNB that over 100 students of their university received treatment at the hospital. Now there are 33 people admitted.
Students of BU returned to the campus from the BM College area by 6:30am.
Besides, acting VC Mohsin Uddin received the six students who got trapped on the BM College campus during the clash, she informed.
BM College Principal Aminul Haque said they communicated with acting VC Mohsin, who assured them of bearing the cost of renovating the damaged structures on the college campus.
