Extortion behind BCL factional clashes at CMCH
The clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) ensued from collecting extortion from nearby pharmacies.
Control over middlemen at hospital wards and ambulance businesses led to frequent clashes of establishing supremacy between two groups, police and BCL sources said.
One of the groups is affiliated with former mayor and city Awami League’s general secretary AJM Nasir Uddin. The group has been controlling the campus for the last 15 years. BNP-Jamaat had supremacy on the campus till 2006. In the last three years, another group affiliated with the deputy education minister and CMCH managing committee’s president Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury came into existence. These two factions have clashed at least four times in the last two years. The groups raise allegations of extortion against each other.
Asked about the matter, pro-Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury group’s Avijit Das told Prothom Alo that the other group patronises a group of middlemen of pharmacies, collect extortion from makeshift shops and control ambulance businesses. The shop owners have to pay toll to BCL’s Habib-Shimul group.
CMCH BCL’s president Habibur Rahman and general secretary Al Ami alias Shimul, both affiliated with AJM Nasir, did not respond to calls for their comment on the allegations. CMCH student union’s former general secretary Pritom Saha also did not reply to phone calls.
AJM Nasir refused to comment on the matter while Mohibul Hasan could not be reached due as he is ill.
Two students were injured as the two groups of BCL clashed on Friday. Following the clashes, a second-year student named Mahadi J Akib was attacked on Saturday morning while going to class. The student is now admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of CMCH. The college was closed sine die after the incident and students were asked to vacate residential halls. The college authorities formed a five-member probe body led by surgery department chief Motiur Rahman Khan. The committee will submit the report within seven days.
Meanwhile, police arrested two students, Raktim Dey, 21, and Enamul Hossain Simata,21, from the campus on Saturday night. Both are students of MBBS second year.
Panchlaish police station’s inspector (investigation) Sadequr Rahman said police sought two-day remand for the duo.
Akib’s relative and CMCH student Toufiqur Rahman has filed a case accusing 16 persons for the attack.
Pro-Mohibul faction organised a human chain programme in front of CMCH main gate on Sunday afternoon where they blamed the other faction for the attack on Akib.