KUET: Chatrodol, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement clash leaves over 100 injured

More than 100 people were injured as leaders and activists of Jatiyotabadi Chatrodol (JCD) and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement locked into clashes and chases in Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) on Tuesday.

Following the incidents, students held a press briefing on the campus placing a five-point demand including a ban on student politics in KUET, as well as the resignation of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and student welfare director.

They also gave an ultimatum until 1:00 pm on Wednesday to meet their demands or else all classes and examinations would remain stopped until their demands are met.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Khulna’s Shibbari Mor (intersection) area at night following the clashes in KUET.

Leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered and brought a procession to the Zia Hall premises around 8:30 pm.

The leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chatrodol and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement took position near the Shibbari Mor intersection.

Two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to control the situation. The Jatiya Nagorik Committee protested the JCD attacks on KUET students.

Jatiyatabadi Chatrodol and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement also brought out separate protest programmes on the Dhaka University campus in this regard.

Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s KUET unit member secretary Zahidur Rahman said 50 of their members sustained severe injuries and more than 150 students sustained minor injuries.

Five people were detained from the spot after the clashes, Khanjahan Ali police station officer-in-charge Md Kabir Hossain said, adding that army, navy, police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were working to control the situation.

KUET sources said the university authorities banned politics on the campus at a syndicate meeting on 11 February, and the ban applies to students, teachers, officials and employees.

Witnesses said the formation of the JCD committee drew reactions in various Messenger groups of the KUET students for the past couple of days.

Chatrodol distributed leaflets on the campus on Monday. The next day, students brought out a procession demanding a ban on politics on campus.

As the protesting students besieged the office of the vice-chancellor, they locked into scuffles with Chatrodol leaders and activists.

When the procession reached in front of the central mosque, tension prevailed as Chatrodol men gathered beforehand.

At one stage, both sides started chasing each other, which eventually spread outside the campus.

The situation went out of control after BNP leaders and activists from nearby areas including Railgate and Teligati joined Chatrodol. Clashes continued until 5:00 pm, leaving more than 100 people injured.

A leader of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement told Prothom Alo, “A group of students distributed the form of Chatrodol outside the campus on Tuesday. So, we the general students called a rally on Tuesday. We thought about filing an appeal to the vice-chancellor to seek permission. When we were going to the vice-chancellor, several people from Chatrodol’s KUET unit along with 15-20 from outside started hurling abusive words and attacked on several of us.”

“Chatrodol men and locals from outside, as well as many others wearing helmets hurled brick chips on us and came with sharpened weapons to attack us,” the leader added.

A Chatrodol leader told Prothom Alo that a section of Islami Chattra Shibir, student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and several members of the fallen government’s student organisation from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement want to disrupt the politics of Chatrodol on the campus and in the nearby areas. The clashes took place in this circumstance.

Former member secretary of Chatrodol’s Khulna city unit told Prothom Alo leaders of Chattra Shibir and banned Bangladesh Chattra League first launched attacks on the leaders and activists of Chatrodol.

Claiming that Chattra Shibir has no link with the KUET incidents, its Khulna city unit president Arafat Hossain told the media that leaders and activists of Chatrodol and BNP attacked the students, leaving many of them injured.

Following the clashes at KUET, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement staged demonstrations at the Raju Memorial Sculpture and the Jatiyotabadi Chatrodol in the Das Cafeteria area at Dhaka University around 9:00 pm.

A group of students also demonstrated at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) protesting the attacks.

Besides, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement brought out processions at various places including Kushtia, Kurigram, Barisal, Rajshahi University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, protesting the Chatrodol’s attacks on students.