At least 30 people were injured in a clash between the students of Dhaka College and City College at Science Lab Intersection in the capital on Wednesday.
The clash erupted around 2:30 pm when the students of City College beat the students of Dhaka College, halting traffic in the Science Lab area for several hours. It also led to severe traffic congestion on nearby roads, with buses on this route being diverted through Panthapath.
The clashes caused immense suffering for the general public in the capital.
According to Inspector Mohammad Faruk, who is in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital outpost, at least 30 students from both sides were injured in the clash and received treatment at the hospital.
The injured said that Wednesday was the 184th founding anniversary of Dhaka College. After the programme, all the students left the campus by bus around 2:30 pm. When three buses reached the Science Laboratory intersection, the students of City College stopped the buses and beat the students of Dhaka College.
Multiple videos shared on social media show that young individuals from both sides were hurling bricks and stones. Mirpur Road was also blocked during the clash, with no vehicular movement visible in the videos.
On Wednesday, the area—one of the capital’s busiest commercial hubs—had reopened after being closed on Tuesday. However, the clash resulted in unbearable traffic jams, causing inconvenience to commuters, businesspeople, and locals.
Around 4:30pm, amidst the back-and-forth chase between the two groups, police fired several rounds of tear shells and sound grenades towards both sides of the clash to bring the situation under control.
Following this, the City College students retreated, and Dhaka College students stayed near the Science Lab intersection for a while before returning to their campuses.
Vehicular movement resumed around 5:30 pm after the students left the road.
During the clash, shopkeepers at New Market and Chandrima Super Market locked their gates around 4:30pm for safety.
The confrontation stemmed from an incident on Tuesday. According to police and student accounts, the issue began when some Dhaka College students boarded a bus near Science Lab, leading to a scuffle with City College students.
In retaliation, a group of City College students vandalized two buses of Dhaka College on Wednesday. Dhaka College students then retaliated by vandalising parts of City College.
The situation escalated further when City College students marched towards the Science Lab intersection around 2:30pm, sparking a violent clash between the two groups, with both sides throwing bricks and stones.
To control the situation, police and military personnel rushed to the spot.
Shah Mostafa Tarikuzzaman, Assistant Commissioner of Police for the New Market zone, said that the clash caused a severe traffic jam in and around the Science Lab area.
