Chhatra League and Jubo League members carried out an armed attack on students at Chittagong University early on Monday, leaving some students of the university injured.
The clash took place at about 3:30 am near the university premises over the encroachment of a shop adjacent to Chittagong University railway station.
Five students were injured in the incident. One of them is in critical condition.
The injured are- Yeasin Arafat, 21, of Institute of Modern Languages (IML); Nazmul Hasan, 22, of Department of Arabic, Monayem Sharif, 19, of Department of Public Administration, Abdullah Al Noman, 20, of Department of Islamic Studies, and Mujahidul Islam, 19, of Islamic Studies.
One of the students was admitted to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital. The rest were treated at the university’s medical center.
Dr Abu Tayyeb, director of CU Medical Center; confirmed the matter. “We have received five people in the medical center for treatment. We provided treatment to four of the students. As the condition of another is critical, we have reerred him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.”
Witnesses said that Chhatra League and Jubo League activists first attacked a shop called ‘Apayayan’ near the university’s Railway gate. They then vandalised several other nearby shops and fired a few rounds, causing panic among students and locals.
Upon hearing the news, students gathered in protest at the Zero Point area of the campus. They marched to the Railgate area and Jubo League activists threw crude bombs and fired bullets on them, leaving some students injured.
Nahid Hossain, a student at Chittagong University, said that 8-10 students were injured in the attack by Chhatra League and Jubo League members. Policemen were deployed on the campus to maintain order.
Professor Dr Tanvir Mohammad Haidar Arif, proctor of Chittagong University; said that the outsiders blasted crude bombs targeting the students while they were going to the rail crossing, an area adjacent to the campus. He said they received the allegation of noncooperation from the police during the attack.
According to the proctor, a cocktail explosion took place on the university campus due to a dispute between two local businessmen. As news of the attack spread across the campus, students gathered at the Zero Point of the university in the early morning and once again, cocktails erupted as they marched to the railway crossing to protest the attack. At this time panic spread among the students.
Later, when the students came out of the hall towards the railway crossing, the cocktail explosion took place again, injuring some students. At that time, the cooperation of the local police was not available. Jubo League workers have utilized this opportunity.
He alleged that the attack was carried out to destabilize the university and the government.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Hathazari police station Habibur Rahman claimed that on information they rushed to the rail crossing area and tried to rein in the situation.
He said they were assisting the university authorities in conducting activities smoothly and the situation on the campus is now calm.
According to the students, the supporters of Jubo League leader Mohammad Hanif of Hathazari Upazila came the area to occupy a shop. Hanif illegally occupied the railway space at the university railway station and built a shop for rent. His younger brother and Chhatra League leader Iqbal deals in WiFi throughout the campus and surrounding areas.
According to locals and some students, the control of some shops adjacent to the university station was under the control of Hanif. These shops are located at the railway station. Those who used to shop in this place used to pay Hanif regularly. He left the area after the fall of the government on August 5. However, he did not give up control of the store.
Sheikh Mahdi Hasan, a student of Darul Uloom Moinul Islam Hathajari Bara Madrasah, opened a new food shop in a place under his control after the fall of the government. The followers of Hanif prevented it.
