A police member and two leaders of Chhatra League's Chittagong University (CU) unit have received injuries in a factional clash over the grabbing of seats at the dormitory.
The clash took place between the CU BCL president Alamgir Tipu’s group, called “Sixty Nine,” and General Secretary HM Fazle Rabbi Sujon’s group, called “Bijoy” on Tuesday evening, said campus sources.
Tipu is backed by Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) mayor and Chittagong metropolitan Awami League general secretary AJM Nasir Uddin, while Sujon is backed by former city mayor and AL president ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, said the sources.
The injured BCL men, Jamir Uddin, ex-cultural affairs secretary of BCL of CU, and Emad Ahmed Shahil, a section leader, were treated at CU Medical Centre, said sources at the centre.
The injured officer, SI Yunush Mia of the Armed Battalion of Hathazari police, was also given treatment, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) (investigation) Salauddin Chowdhury of Hathazari police station.
BCL and campus sources said the senior leaders and activists of the president’s group were locked in a dispute in the evening with the general secretary’s group over the occupation of seats at Suhrawardi dormitory, triggering the clash between the groups.
Equipped with lethal weapons, the groups fought each other at a spot located between the Shahjalal dormitory and Shah Amanat dormitory at around 5pm, said the witnesses.
Being informed, police officers and the proctorial body rushed to the spot where the police dispersed the agitating groups by firing tear canisters and blank shots.
OC Salauddin told the Dhaka Tribune: “The police fired at least 15 rounds of tear shells to bring the situation under control.”
Additional police were deployed at the campus to avert further unrest, he added.
When contacted, CU BCL president Tipu said the leaders and activists of Sujon, along with Shibir agents, were trying to flex their muscle on campus, while his leaders and activists were attacked by them and protested against it.
Sujon, the GS of CU BCL, said, to create anarchy and halt the positive work being done at the university, the activists of Tipu attacked his men in the month of national mourning.
It should be noted that the central BCL formed the CU BCL committee, making Tipu the president and Sujon the secretary.
