An activist of the ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was killed and four others injured during a factional clash at Chittagong University yesterday, ensued over placing wreaths on the Martyred Intellectuals’ Day.
Tapos Sarker died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. He was a fiqrst year student of the Sanskrit department, Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam of the hospital police outpost said. He used to stay at room 235 of Shah Amanat Hall. “Tapos had bullet injury in his chest,” he added.
A probe body was formed by the authorities at an emergency meeting in the evening. Police were preparing to file a case until filing of this report around 9:30pm.
These two groups locked in clashes on the campus at least seven times in the last three months. Latest, they engaged in fierce armed clashes three times between September 23 and September 27.
The central Chhatra League dissolved the university unit on June 10 following a factional clash.
Campus sources said the clash erupted in the morning between shuttle train-based Chhatra League factions – Choose Friend with Care (CFC) and Varsity Express (VX).
The CFC is led by former vice-president Amit Kumar Basu and former joint secretary Sumon Mamun while the VX activists are led by former organising secretary Ariful Islam and office secretary Jalal Ahmed.
Both groups are loyal to Chittagong city unit Awami League President ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, the former city mayor.
Witnesses and police sources said an altercation took place between the activists of the two groups during placing floral wreaths at the Buddhijibi Chhattar of the campus around 10am.
Later the VX men pelted stones on the CFC activists from the roof of Shah Jalal Hall during their way back triggering a clash around 11am. The groups clashed with fire arms and sharp weapons at a place between the yards of Shah Amanat and Shah Jalal dormitories, police said.
“Tapos was shot by the VX men while closing the main gate of Shah Amant Hall during the clash,” Syed Nazrul Islam, a masters student of philology department who witnessed the incident, said.
The injured – SM Alauddin Alam and Fahim of philosophy; Rimon of botany; and Sabbir Hannan of soil science departments received primary treatment at the medical centre. Of them, Alauddin is the former human resource affairs secretary of Chhatra League’s CU unit while the others are assistant secretaries.
Md Ismail, OC of Hathazari police station, said they had fired 30 rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to quell the clashing groups. Tapos and the injured were first taken to the CU medical centre.
Additional police have been deployed on the campus to avert further clashes.
Following the killing, police raided the Shah Jalal dormitory and detained at least 30 Chhatra League activists. They also recovered a light gun and five rounds of bullets and a number of sharp weapons, Additional Superintendent of Police (North) Mohammed Shahidullah told the Dhaka Tribune.
After a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to Tapos’ relatives around 3:30pm.
CFC group leader Amit blamed Proctor Siraj Ud Dowla for not resolving the long-standing feud amongst the Chhatra League factions due to his personal interest.
Amit accused Ashrafuzzaman Asha, Rupom Bishwas, Asifuzzaman, Mizanur Rahman Bipul, Shohel Khan, Shahrid Shuvo and Kawsar for carrying out the attack on the CFC men under the order of Ariful Islam and Jalal.
The CFC leaders and witnesses said during the clashes, neither the proctor nor any assistant proctor was seen to quell the situation.
Amit claimed that Tapos would not have died had the proctorial body performed their duties properly.
Awami League leader Mohiuddin demanded immediate arrest and trial of Tapos’ killers, after visiting Tapos’ body at the college morgue.
CFC demands removal of VC, proctor
After the killing, Chhatra League activists belonging to the CFC group at a press conference demanded immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Professor Anwarul Azim Arif and Proctor Siraj.
They met the journalists at the Chittagong Press Club around 5:30pm. Former president of the unit Mamunul Haque and former vice-president Shahadat Hossain Juel were present.
Probe body formed
A five-member investigation committee was formed in the evening at an emergency meeting of the university’s deans, provosts and proctors led by the VC.
Prof Tawhid Osman, the dean of Biological Sciences Faculty, has been made convener of the probe body, Pro-VC Prof Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune. They were asked to submit report in two weeks.
The meeting also agreed not to declare the university closed. Police would deal with the legal matters regarding the murder and recovery of arms, he added.
