20 hurt as JCD rivals clash at DU

---

Police rescues JCD President Sultan Salahuddin Tuku and Shahbag Thana OC Rejaul Karim during sporadic clashes allegedly between two rival groups of JCD on the DU campus Monday. — FE photo

DU Correspondent
At least 20 people including the Dhaka University (DU) proctor, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) president, and Shahbagh thana officer-in-charge were injured in fierce clashes between two factions of JCD on the DU campus Monday.
Injured JCD president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku and DU proctor Saiful Islam were admitted to Islami Bank Central Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital respectively.
JCD assistant general secretary Javed Hossain, DU unit conveners Masud Parvez Khan, Obaidul Haq Nasir and Mohidul Islam Hero along with other seriously injured leaders and activists were admitted to different city hospitals.
The clashes erupted when the JCD central committee leaders, led by its president Tuku and general secretary Amirul Islam Alim, came to the campus at around 10 am.
Then the leaders and activists, who did not get posts in the JCD central committee and took stand on the campus from around 6:30 am, attacked the central leaders.
In retaliation, the followers of the central committee leaders made a counter attack on the post-deprived leaders.
The JCD rival groups chased and counter-chased each other with chapati, ramda, rods and sticks, leaving at least 20 men of both sides injured. They also exploded several cocktails and fired open at least 20 rounds of bullet. Police threw a number of tear-gas shells and fired ten rounds of rubber bullet during the clashes to control the situation.
At one stage, the post-deprived leaders and activists with the cooperation of a group of Surja Sen Hall unit activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) tried to drive out the JCD central leaders from the campus.
Tuku and other leaders took shelter inside the Arts Building. On information, police and the DU proctor brought them out of there through the backside gate.
Then, the JCD rivals and their BCL partners again swooped on the leaders, leaving Tuku, the DU proctor and Shahbagh thana OC Rejaul Karim injured.
Rezaul Karim told reporters at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) that police had to lob teargas shells once again to bring the situation under control. At last, Police recovered Tuku and sent him to hospital.
The OC also said police would immediately launch a special drive to recover the arms used during the clashes.
Later, the BCL activists brought out a procession with lethal weapons, and declared the JCD unwanted on the DU campus accusing them of spoiling the congenial atmosphere of the university.
Terming the incident very unfortunate, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said this is for the first time the campus witnessed a showdown of arms during a year of his taking office as the VC.
He also held an emergency meeting with the hall provosts, and urged them to ensure congenial atmosphere of education at the campus.
Meanwhile, JCD general secretary Amirul Islam Alim at a press conference in the afternoon alleged that the BCL-men made the attack on the JCD leaders.
JCD called out a two-day strike on the DU campus from January 19 to 20 to protest the "heinous BCL attack on the JCD leaders." The organisation also demanded resignation of the DU VC, as according to them, the university administration "provoked and helped" the BCL activists to attack the JCD leaders.