Violence continues to rock DU campus, nearby areas

FE Team | Published: August 22, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

DU Correspondent
Angry students staged violent demonstration, clashed with police and damaged dozens of vehicles on Dhaka University (DU) campus and its adjoining areas for the second consecutive day Tuesday demanding withdrawal of army camp from the campus.
The violence also spilled over to different educational institutions, including Dhaka College, Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University, Rajshahi University, Islamic University and Chittagong University on the day.
Over 300 students and a good number of police personnel were injured during the clashes on DU campus and surrounding areas. In the wake of the tense situation, the Dhaka University authorities postponed all examinations of the university from August 22 to 28.
On Dhaka University campus, several thousand students continued violent demonstration and damaged dozens of vehicles at Shahbagh and Nilkhet areas that disrupted movement of vehicles for several hours.
All business establishments in Shahbagh, Nilkhet, Elephant Road and New Market areas were closed as sporadic clashes between police and angry students created panic among the people.
In Shahbagh and Nilkhet areas angry students carrying sticks damaged some 35 to 40 vehicles.
The demonstrators also set fire to an army vehicle in front of Aziz Super Market near Shahbagh. A BRTC bus was set ablaze near the Curzon Hall area in the afternoon. The students damaged a jeep of an additional IGP of the special branch in the same area.
Police closed all roads leading to the DU campus that virtually created huge traffic jam in different parts of the city.
Police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets and charged batons on the angry students and, at one stage, police entered the compound of the Fine Art Institute and resorted to charging batons indiscriminately on students leaving some 40 students injured.

The law enforcers also lobbed dozens of teargas shells on a procession of students near TSC at about 10:45am and smoke engulfed the entire Arts Faculty. But the students regrouped themselves and clashed with the police.
Female students were also seen joining processions and throwing brickbats at the riot police in front of Rokeya Hall. The students also staged demonstration outside the VC's residence and burnt a university pick-up van. They also broke the main gate of the VC's residence.
The angry students burnt effigies of some top government figures during the demonstration.
Students of Dhaka College, Jagannath University and Jahangirnagar University staged separate demonstrations protesting the attacks on DU students by police. Angry students of Dhaka College clashed with police and damaged several vehicles near New Market and Science Laboratory areas that also disrupted movement of vehicles. Some students attacked the police-outpost near Science Laboratory and damaged it.
Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Agricultural University, Islamic University, Rajshahi University and many district level colleges took to the streets to protest against the alleged brutality of police.
The Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) expressed solidarity with the students and condemned the brutal attacks on the students.
After an emergency meeting Tuesday, the DUTA demanded pullout of the army camp from the campus by 12pm today (Wednesday). A meeting of the DU provost committee also condemned the police attacks on students.
The angry students at a press conference at DU Madhu's canteen put forward a 5-point demand that includes pullout of the army camp within 24-hours and "unconditional apology from the Army Chief" for Monday's incident. They demanded compensation and proper treatment for students injured in the series of clashes with police.
The students warned of enforcing indefinite strike in all educational institutes of the country if their demands are not met.
Meanwhile, an ISPR press release said that the army personnel responsible for Monday's football match incident was removed from the DU army camp Tuesday and investigation against him was started.
A large number of additional police forces were deployed in and around the DU campus.
A group of protesters set on fire Shahbagh Police station Tuesday night. Police personnel extinguished the fire immediately and none was injured in the incident.
Shadharan Chhatra-Chhatri Parishad of Chittagong University Tuesday called an indefinite strike on the campus protesting the attacks on DU students by police.
Police picked up nine students from CU campus when they brought out a procession Tuesday.