Students condemn BNP march for ‘exploding cocktails’ in front of school

Students, their parents, and teachers of Yakubia Girls High School in Bogura slammed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists for “hurling cocktails and throwing bricks” at the school from their road march yesterday while classes were being held.

While receiving initial treatment at a local hospital, a student said that through the window in the classroom, she saw cocktails being hurled “aiming the school compound from the BNP march.”

As the march reached the school premises, all of a sudden cocktails started exploding, she said.

Another student recounted: “After some explosions, we were scared and we left the classroom. But as we came outside, they started throwing brick chips at us… some of us were sitting right next to windows when the explosions started, a few lost consciousness.”

A school teacher said, “Political activists need to take into account that hundreds of students were attending classes. We strongly condemn such act of terror.”

“This cannot be considered ‘political activity’. Perpetrators of such violence need to be brought to justice,” she added.

“Loud noise emanating from the explosion triggered a sense of panic among students with some falling unconscious as it was in such close proximity,” said another teacher.

Police intervened and charged tear gas shells, resulting in a clash, leaving dozens injured.

Meanwhile, students of Government Mujibur Rahman Women’s College, Government Shah Sultan College and Bogura Government College staged a human chain condemning BNP’s march for “terrorizing” students of Yakubia Girls High School with “exploding cocktails at an educational institution.”

They also demanded arrests of the perpetrators.