BCL attacks quota protesters at JU, more than 50 injured

The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) attacked a protest procession of the quota protesters in Jahangirnagar University.

A group of BCL activists led by BCL’s JU unit president Aktaruzzaman Sohel carried out the attack at the Battoala area this evening.

More than 50 students were reported injured at the time of filing this report. Some 20 of them were critically injured and were sent to a private hospital in Savar.

University medical centre physician Rezwanur Rahman told Prothom Alo more than 50 students received treatment there after being attacked. Some 20 of them were sent to a private hospital in Savar as they were in critical condition.

The procession was brought out in protest of attacks on protesting students across the country and demanding quota reform.

According to eyewitnesses, the procession was brought out at 6:30 pm under the banner of ‘anti-discriminatory student movement’ from the central library of the university. As soon as the procession reached the Bottala area after proceeding through several roads on the campus, a BCL group led by university president Aktaruzzaman attacked the protesters with crude weapons. The BCL activists also molested several female students at the time of the attack.

The protesting students said BCL president Aktaruzzaman led the attack on their peaceful procession with crude weapons. Some of the BCL activists even beat and molested several female protesters and hurled abusive words towards them.

Daily Jugantar’s JU correspondent Mosaddekur Rahman is one of the injured. He said he was on professional duty. Despite that the BCL attackers hit him on his head with crude weapons.

Later, at 8:25 pm the protesters chased the BCL activists and they fled inside the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Residential Hall. The BCL activists were hurling brickbats from the roof to prevent the quota protesters from entering the hall. Meanwhile, the quota protesters have taken position in front of the hall.