A tensed situation hovers about the Chittagong University (CU) campus over establishing supremacy over the Shah Amanat Hall which was reopened on Wednesday after nearly 10 months.
Campus sources said the university unit of two factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), students’ wing of the ruling Awami League, may lock themselves in a clash over the issue.
Supporters of the two groups – Sumon-Amit and Varsity Express (VX) factions – got into a chase and counter-chase over taking control of the dormitory - the largest male hall of the university.
The sources said the VX men equipped with lethal weapons chased away the activists of Sumon-Amit group who were inside the Shah Amanat hall around 2:30pm. No none was injured in the incident. Police later brought the situation under control dispersing the two groups from the spot.
Additional Superintendent of Police in Chittagong (north) Md Shahidullah said: “Additional police have been deployed in the campus area to avert any untoward incident.”
Soon after the reopening of the Shah Amanat dormitory, hall authorities allegedly allowed the Amit-Sumon group to enter while the VX men have been trying to take control of the hall since its reopening, said the sources.
Shibir gives 72-hour ultimatum
Meanwhile, activists of the Islami Chhatra Shibir gave a three-day ultimatum to the university authority to allow Shibir men, who had been earlier given allocation as residential students, to enter the hall.
They also demanded the reopening of the Suhrawardi Hall which was closed after a gunfight between BCL and Shibir men.
In a press release signed by Ershadul Haque Robin, who claimed to be a residential student of the hall, said the CU authorities technically allowed the outsiders to enter the Shah Amanat hall ignoring the genuine residential students.
Around 30 teachers of BNP-Jamaat backed White Panel formed a human chain on the campus in front of the CU Administrative Building demanding assurance of allowing only actual residents of the hall to enter the premises.
Shah Amanat has 632 only seats whereas the hall accommodates around 1,500 students, CU sources said.
