A private university student was killed yesterday during a gunfight between two Chhatra League factions of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) over establishing supremacy on the campus.
Following the incident, SUST authorities declared the university closed for an indefinite period in an emergency syndicate meeting around 12:30pm.
Victim Sumon Roy was a third-year BBA student of Sylhet International University, said Officer-in-Charge Akter Hossain of Jalalabad police station.
Chhatra League sources claimed that Sumon was a follower of SUST BCL vice-president.
Prof Faruk Uddin said at least nine students including Proctor Prof Himadri Shakor Ray received bullet injuries during the clash.
Of the injured, Kholilur Rahman was a first-year student of Sociology and Kamrul Hasan, a Master’s Degree student of Political Science and Public Administration.
The others who were injured in the clash were named as Hossain Mohammad Sagor, Abdus Salam Monju, Nazrul, Selim, Ahad and Mizan.
Seeking anonymity, some SUST students said there was a previous enmity between the university’s Chhatra League President Sanjib Chakrabarti Partha and its Vice-President Anjan Ray.
Students who witnessed the gunfight said followers of SUST BCL unit president, who had remained absent from the campus for quite a long time, entered the university around 10:30am.
They vandalised the library, academic building, and the Shah Paran Hall.
The clash erupted as students loyal to Vice-President Anjan Roy arrived at the scene.
Both factions opened fire on each other and exploded handmade bombs leaving at least 20 injured.
OC Akter Hossain said: “Police fired 93 rounds of shots from shotguns and 3 rounds of tears-gas shells to bring the situation under control.”
Additional police forces were deployed on the campus to avert further untoward incidents.
But around 3pm the two groups made a come back and chased each other leaving police constable Ibrahim Ali injured,” he said adding that police quelled the violence after half an hour.
Male students were asked to vacate dormitories by 4pm yesterday and female students by 9am today.
A regular syndicate meeting was going on till the filing of this report at 5:30pm.
Earlier, on May 9, 2013 SUST BCL new committee was formed with Sanjibon Chakrabarti Partha its president, Anjon Ray vice-president and Imran Khan member secretary.
Soon after the announcement of the committee, on May 13 new Secretary Imran who was loyal to Partha was attacked by Anjan group. He was severely injured and now undergoing treatment in India.
Following the attack Partha group lost their control and Anjan group established their supremacy on the campus including the three dormitories – Shahproan Hall, Second Student Hall and Syed Mujtoba Ali Hall.
On September 23, 2014, miscreants attacked Chatra League leader Uttom Kumar Das, 30, a student of Master’s Degree level of Social Welfare Department and also the group leader of Anjan, leaving him critically injured.
He is now undergoing treatment at Square Hospitals Dhaka.
After the incident, Anjan group became weakened and Partha group tried to establish their control over the campus.
When contacted Partha said: “As some of our activists went to Shahporan Hall yesterday some terrorists launched an attack on them who just resisted.
He said deceased Sumon Ray was an outsider. He also claimed that Suman was killed by his own gun.
The Dhaka Tribune contacted Anjan Ray. One of his relatives received the cell phone and said Anjan was sick. He advised this reporter to make a phone call later.
