A week after clashes between Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir activists, the two organizations have agreed to maintain peaceful coexistence at the residential hall of Sarkari Madrasa-e-Alia in Old Dhaka.
The understanding came at a meeting between leaders of the two groups, mediated by the madrasa administration. Following the meeting, Shibir activists returned to the hall around 2pm on Monday.
The dispute began on the morning of August 4, when activists of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir clashed at Jagannath University over participation in programs marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising.
The confrontation later spread to the area in front of Alia Madrasa, where activists of the two organizations were involved in a prolonged clash.
After hours of fighting, Shibir activists withdrew from the area. Chhatra Dal activists later went to the hall, asked students to leave and locked the gates.
When Shibir activists tried to return to the hall on Sunday, they were stopped.
Later that night, the principal, vice principal and other administrative officials of Sarkari Madrasa-e-Alia met with leaders of both organizations to resolve the standoff.
BNP MP for Dhaka-7 Hamidur Rahman Hamid and Jamaat-e-Islami MP for Dhaka-5 Kamal Hossain also attended the meeting.
Chhatra Dal's Alia unit leaders represented the organization, while Chhatra Shibir was represented by its central publicity secretary and Ducsu GS S M Farhad, Dhaka Mahanagar Purba unit president Imdadul Haque Miazi and Alia Madrasa unit president Abdul Alim.
The two sides agreed to maintain a peaceful and mutually respectful environment in the hall and on campus. They also agreed to avoid activities that could trigger conflict, create disorder or disrupt the academic environment.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Abdul Alim, president of Chhatra Shibir's Alia Madrasa unit, said Shibir activists faced no major obstacle in returning to the hall, although they had received occasional threats in the run-up.
Saad Chowdhury, a leader of Chhatra Dal's Alia Madrasa unit, also confirmed the development, saying Shibir activists moved back into the hall on Monday afternoon.
However, the two groups have yet to settle how many seats each will receive.
The broader issue of seat distribution will be discussed further, with Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir expected to hold separate meetings with the administration.
