Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Vice President Nurul Haque Nur and 25 students of DU and educational institutions were injured in two separate attacks at Nur’s DUCSU office on Sunday noon.
Nur’s associates alleged that Muktijuddho Mancha activists led by its DU unit President Aminul Islam Bulbul and General Secretary Al Mamun and Bangladesh Chattraa League (BCL) activists led by DU BCL President Sonjit Chandra Das and General Secretary Saddam Hussain made the attacks respectively at Madhur canteen and DUCSU office.
Seriously injured VP Nur and others were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for treatment around 2pm on Sunday. DMCH duty doctors said they have treated around 24 people, including VP Nur.
Witnesses and DU sources said the BCL attacked Nur and his associates at Nur’s office at DUCSU building at 12:00pm. Ducsu office was also vandalized during the attack. They were again attacked by Muktijuddho Mancha activists at Madhur Canteen around 1-2pm.
DUCSU Social service secretary Akhter Hossain said, “BCL and Muktijuddho Mancha goons attacked Nurul Haque Nur, Rashed Khan, Moshiur Rahman and 30-35 others. Most of the injured are in critical condition. I am afraid if the injured can succeed to return to normal life as they were beaten very severely.”
One of the injured, Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC) Convener, also a quota reform movement leader, Hasan Al Mamun said: "I was attacked at first by the activists of Muktijuddho Mancha near the Madhur canteen."
Muktijuddho Mancha DU chapter President Aminul Islam Bulbul and General Secretary Al Mamun led the attack, he alleged.
BGSRPC Joint Convener Rashed Khan said: "The second attack was carried out jointly by Muktijuddho Mancha BCL members of DU unit."
Rashed said: "They attacked us in presence of DU Chhatra League President Sonjit Chandra Das and General Secretary Saddam Hussain."
Contacted, DU General Secretary Saddam Hussain said: "This is their internal conflict [between quota reform protesters and Muktijuddho Mancha activists]. I would request both the parties to resolve the issue between them and not to create unrest inside the campus.
He urged DU authorities to take action against those involved in vandalising the Ducsu building.
Witnesses said activists of a faction of Muktijuddha Mancha hurled brick chips at Nur’s Ducsu office room when Nur and some of his associates were there around 12:30pm.
They said later, the DU unit BCL president Sanjit Chandra Das and GS Saddam Hossain along with their followers went to Ducsu building and asked Nur and his associates to go out but Nur denied.
“They locked into an altercation over the matter and both Sanjit and Saddam, also assistant general secretary of Ducsu, left the office.
After that, other BCL men equipped with wooden sticks attacked Nur and his fellows. The activists of Muktijuddha Mancha faction later joined with the BCL men.
“They locked the main gate of Ducsu and beat Nur and others mercilessly for more than half an hour, leaving many including Nur injured. They also vandalised Nur’s office room,” alleged victims and witnesses.
Later, Progressive student’s alliance and Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC) jointly carried out a procession protesting the attacks.
Progressive Student’s alliance leader Al Kaderi Joy condemn DU Proctor as he failed to resist the attackers.
DUCSU Social affairs secretary Akhter Hossain said, “We won’t let them go, if they attack again. We along with all students would resist them sternly.”
He also called the authority to take immediate steps against attackers and academic expulsion.
DU proctor AKM Golam Rabbani said, “We sent the injured students to DMCH for treatment. We will look into this matter.”
