Dhaka College shut till 5 May, students asked to vacate halls

Dhaka College has been shut till 5 May after fierce clashes raged on between students of the college and traders of New Market area. Students were also asked to vacate residential halls within Tuesday afternoon.

Dhaka College’s acting principal ATM Moinul Hossain confirmed the development to Prothom Alo.

The students rejected the decision to shut the campus and were seen chanting slogans on the campus premises at around 4:00pm.

The clashes between the students and the traders of New Market ensued at around 12 midnight on Tuesday following an altercation. The clashes continued for two and half hours after police fired tear gas.

Fresh clashes broke out from Tuesday morning after students tried to block Nilkhet intersection. At least 20 people have been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as clashes continued for hours.

DMCH emergency department’s residential medical officer Md Alauddin told Prothom Alo that around 20 people have been brought to DMCH.

He said none of the injured was in critical condition.

DMCH police outpost’s in charge Bacchu Mia told Prothom Alo that most of the people brought to DMCH sustained head injuries.

Traders of New Market and other adjacent markets also beat up journalists on-duty at the spot. They allege that the media’s coverage of the incident does not reflect the truth.

The traders were seen beating a journalist of Somoy TV at Nilkhet intersection. Two journalists of SA TV were also attacked by the traders.

Several more journalists were reportedly attacked during the clash.

The traffic movement on Mirpur road has come to a complete standstill due to the clash. Severe congestion due to the clash has crippled Dhaka city’s traffic movement.

Several Dhaka College students said one of their classmates had been attacked by the traders of New Market on Monday night. In protest, a few hundred students came out of the residential hall of the college with sticks and local weapons. Some shops in the New Market were vandalised at that time. Some of the traders were beaten up by the students as well.

Right after that, the traders came out with sticks and the clash broke out.

However, the traders of New Market alleged the clashes ensued after some students of Dhaka College were leaving without paying bills after having dinner at a fast food shop in the market. After an altercation between the staff of the shop and the students, hundreds of students from Dhaka College swooped on the traders and started vandalising the shops. Later, the traders retaliated.