College teacher, another killed in clash with police

Two people including a college teacher were killed and 20 others injured in a clash between the police and a group of demonstrating people demanding nationalisation of a local college in Phulbaria upazila of Mymensigh district on Sunday.

The deceased are Abul Kalam Azad, an assistant professor of Botany Department of Phulbaria Degree College, and Safar Ali, 60, a resident of nearby Kushmail village.

Locals said several hundred teachers and students of the college backed by locals were demonstrating for nationalisation of the college for one and a half months.

They were aggrieved by the government decision of nationalising another college instead.

The police stopped the protesters when they tried to bring out a procession at around 2:00 pm on Sunday. They clashed with police, and the police opened fire.

Safar Ali died in the midst of the clash, the demonstrators said. The teacher was injured in police beating, and was taken to Community Based Medical College and Hospital in Mymensingh town where he died later.

"Safar Ali was found dead 300 yards from the spot of demonstration, so the reason of his death would be something different, and Abul Kalam Azad died while under treatment in the hospital after he fell ill," said Rifat Khan Razib, officer in charge of Phulbaria police station.

But a duty doctor said on anonimyty that the teacher was admitted to the hospital with injuries around 3:00pm, and he died afterwhile.