Quiet in Dhaka College hostel area
Following the clashes between the students of Dhaka College and the traders, the college hostels area was seen quiet on Wednesday morning.
The Dhaka College administration on Tuesday declared the college shut until 5 May and ordered the students to vacate the hostels by afternoon as a measure to curb the situation. But the students have declared that they would stay at the residential halls defying the college authorities order to leave the dormitories.
As per their declaration, the students have been staying at the hostels and on campus.
The college hostels were seen open at around 10:00am and the students inside. However, the area was found quiet.
A residential student told Prothom Alo that they would not leave the hostel.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, acting principal of Dhaka College, ATM Moinul Hossain on Wednesday said, “It is the education ministry that has taken the decision to shut the college hostel. We informed the decision to our students. But the students do not want to leave the hostel. At the same time, they have been demanding trial of the attackers. We have conveyed those issues to the higher authorities. Higher authorities will take the final decision.”
Pressed on the steps the college authorities have taken, Moinul Hossain said they are yet to take any legal or administrative step and form any investigative committee following the clashes. “A decision will be taken about this after a discussion.”
There was a day-long clash between the students of Dhaka College and the shop owners and workers at the shops of New Market.
A pedestrian, Nahid Hossain, 20, who sustained injuries during the day-long clash on Tuesday, died under treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital at night. Besides, scores have sustained injuries in the sporadic clashes.
Transport movement from Science Lab intersection to Nilkhet intersection on Mirpur road remained halted due to the clash. No shop was opened at Nilkhet market and the New Market.
After the sporadic clashes, the students and shop owners and employees left the area at around 10:30pm. Later, the transport movement started at night.
However, the New Market area was seen quiet in this morning and the transport movement though the area was normal. No quarrelling parties were seen in the area but the markets remained shut.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (Traffic) New Market zone assistant commissioner Harun Ar Rashid told Prothom Alo at around 9:30am that a huge number of policemen have been deployed in the area.