30 injured as students, traders clash in city

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At least 30 people, including four teachers, were injured in a violent clash Tuesday between Habibullah Bahar University College students and Karnaphuli Garden City businessmen over non-payment of fast-food bills, reports UNB.
The police said four students of the college went to the Karnaphuli Garden City Shopping Complex and took food at a fast food shop at about 11am. A fierce brawl between the students and the shop employees ensued as they failed to fully pay the bill.
"At one stage, the employees assaulted and confined them, which triggered massive student protests," says a spot report quoting an eyewitness account.
When the students were set free, they returned to the college and apprised Principal Md Abu Bakkar of the incident. Later, he sent three teachers along with the students to the shop owner at the luxurious shopping mall to settle the dispute.
"When they came here, all the shop employees of the market banded and beat up the teachers and the students," says the report from the scene.
This outrageous action infuriated the college students and almost all of them came out onto the street nearby as the news spread fast on the campus at about 12:30pm.
The students and businessmen took position on the busy Malibagh-Kakrail Road and fought pitched battles, disrupting traffic until 1:00pm. A nagging traffic-congestion was created all around the area.
The agitating students stoned the shopping-complex, vandalising its front glass-gate.
And both the groups hurled brickbats at the police who rushed in to calm the trouble.
Failing to storm into the college, the unruly businessmen hurled brickbats at the college, destroying the door and windowpanes.