At least 10 people, including eight students, were injured and three vehicles vandalised in a clash between students of Barisal University (BU) and transport workers over a trifling matter yesterday.
Students of the university declared boycott of the classes and examinations, demanding punishment to the transport workers who attacked them.
Witnesses said the clash resulted from an altercation over denial of students’ concession fare and giving them a stoppage by a bus in front of the BU’s permanent campus at Karnakathi on the eastern bank of the Kirtankhola River at 10.50am.
The other students were informed of this and they rushed in, damaged the bus and beat its two workers and tried to block the highway by stacking bricks on it.
On hearing of it, transport workers also rushed there and, haphazardly parking their vehicles, they blocked a nearby highway crossing that connects at least 17 routes of Barisal-Bhola-Patuakhali-Barguna district.
They attacked the BU campus, triggering a fierce clash between them in which at least eight students were injured and damaged two student buses parked on the campus.
Police baton-charged and fired six rounds of rubber bullets and three rounds of tear gas canisters to bring the situation under control, said Ziaul Islam, officer-in-charge at Barisal Bandar police station.
Road communications returned to normalcy at 3:00pm after students, marooned on the campus, were safely transferred from the spot to the city under police protection.
Students declared boycott of classes and examinations, saying that they would not return to class until those involved in the attack on them were punished.
The university authority, transport owners and workers association and law enforcing agencies would sit together at the Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) office today said Abu Raihan Md Saleh, BMP (north) deputy commissioner.
Barisal University Proctor Md Shafiul Alam said students Shamim Shikdar, Toufiq Omar of economics, Bidhan of law, Shovon of marketing, Sayeed of Bangla and three others were injured.
Of them, Shamin was admitted to Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital, he said.
Barisal Bus Workers Union’s President Sultan Mahmud said Anwar Hossain and Md Miraj, driver and supervisor of a bus were injured in the attack by students.
BU General Students Forum Convener HM Zahirul said transport workers not only often assault them denying concession fare, but also deny them any stoppage in front of the campus. They even tease female students.
Declaring boycott of classes and exams, he said no students would attend classes and examinations until those transport workers responsible for the attack were punished.
He also demanded that a permanent solution be made over denial of students’ concession fare and giving them stoppage in front of the campus.
Barisal Transport Workers Association General Secretary Sultan Mahmud said it is not possible to give students any stoppage right in front of the university gate as there is a sharp road slope there.
Students often refused to pay any bus fare and are locked in altercations with transport workers. They even assault the transport workers when they tried to protest, he said.
