Chhatra Dal, Students Against Discrimination clash at KUET
Two groups of students have been at loggerhead over the demand of banning student politics at the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET).
The clash broke out at noon and was still going on at the time of filing this report in the afternoon.
At least 30 people sustained injuries in the clash so far. Several leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and a Students Against Discrimination leader confirmed this to Prothom Alo.
At least five KUET sources told Prothom Alo that student politics have been banned on the KUET campus. The members of Chhatra Dal distributed leaflets on Monday with the demand to resume student politics.
Following that the members of Students Against Discrimination brought out a procession chanting different slogans against the demand raised by the Chhatra Dal activists, and marched through different halls on the campus.
At one point they came face to face with a group of JCD leaders near the central mosque and the situation escalated leading to the chase and the counter-chase between the two groups. Later, intruders entered the campus through the pocket gate and joined the clash on behalf of the JCD activists. The situation is quite tense on the campus at the moment.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, a JCD leader told Prothom Alo a section of Chhatra Shibir within the Students Against Discrimination and some activists of Chhatra League wanted to obstruct their activities on the campus and adjacent areas. The clash broke out in the context of that.
Meanwhile, central chief coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, Hannan Masud wrote in a Facebook post, “The Chhatra Dal is moving towards digging its own grave on the campus by carrying out attacks in a manner similar to the banned Chhatra League activists.”
Officer-in-charge of Khanjahan Ali police station Kabir Hossain told Prothom Alo, “Tension erupted between two groups of KUET students leading to a chase and the counter-chase. We are trying our best to bring the situation under control.”