BCL activists beat up DU students, rescue besieged VC

January 24, 2018 00:00:00

Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) thrash a group of protesting students, who besieged Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman at his office on Tuesday, demanding punishment to BCL activists for a previous assault. — FE Photo by Shafiqul Alam

Activists of the ruling party's student wing have beaten up students who besieged the Dhaka University vice-chancellor in his office in protest against a previous assault on them by Bangladesh Chhatra League, reports bdnews24.com.

The protesters, a newly-formed alliance of students who identify themselves as an 'anti-repression group,' took out a procession around 11:30am on Tuesday.

They broke three gates into VC Md Akhtaruzzaman's offices after parading through TSC, Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Business Studies.

The students threatened to keep the VC Office under siege until the demands are met, a number of protesters told bdnews24.com.

Akhtaruzzaman was in his offices at the time.

Around 3:15pm, the VC tried to sneak out of the building through the back door, but the demonstrators stopped him on his way and raised their demands, which include the removal of Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani and withdrawal of a case against them.

The VC assured the protesting students that steps would be taken after the investigation as per the university law.

The students, however, demanded the VC's immediate announcement on meeting their demands without wasting time in the name of investigation.

After around half an hour, at least 20 activists of BCL, the Awami League's student affiliate, led by General Secretary SM Zakir Hossain, moved to rescue the vice-chancellor.

They attacked the protesters with iron rods to disperse them from the VC Office premises.

They beat up Bangladesh Chhatra Union General Secretary Liton Nandi, Chhatra Federation DU unit President Umme Habiba Benazir, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front leader Pragati Barman, and Masud Al Mahdi, a spokesperson for the protesters.

The BCL activists also chased the protesters and beat them up at different locations in the campus.

Moniruzzaman Dayal, an employee of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said 20 students came to the hospital with injuries after the incident.

The protesters' alliance came into being after Chhatra League activists allegedly assaulted female students at a rally that urged the DU to scrap its affiliation with seven Dhaka-based colleges on January 15.