Staff Reporter :
Clashes between Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists took place in front of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) building on the Supreme Court premises on Thursday.
Several JCD activists were injured during the clashes. Among them, Nahid Chowdhury, an activist of Jagannath University, is in critical condition. He was later taken to Islami Bank Hospital in Kakrail by an ambulance, sources said.
Witnesses said the clash started when BCL activists attacked JCD leaders and activists in front of the High Court when the latter group was on its way to DU campus around 12pm as part of their scheduled programme, but the Chhatra League leaders and activists prevented them.
Some of the JCD activists managed to enter the High Court area but the BCL activists chased them and beat them up inside the court premises.
The incident occurred two days after BCL activists reportedly beat up JCD counterparts on DU campus.
JCD leaders and activists had been gathering in the vicinity of the High Court area since morning to observe the program announced earlier in protest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remark about BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. They brought out a procession around 12.00 pm. The procession continued to move towards Doel Chattar of Dhaka University from the High Court gate.
Meanwhile, the BCL leaders and activists were had already taken a position in Shishu Academy and Doel Chattar area. When the procession of Chhatra Dal crossed the Mazar gate of the High Court and proceeded towards Doel Chattar, it was obstructed by Chhatra League. Then activists of both the organizations engaged into a clash. Leaders and activists of both the organizations were seen carrying guns, sticks, hockey sticks and rods.
At one stage of the clash some of the JCD activists managed to enter the High Court area but the BCL activists chased them and beat them up inside the court premises. After a while, some people were found lying injured near the gangway of the Bar Association building.
Among them, Nahid Chowdhury, a JCD activist of Jagannath University, was seriously injured. He and other injured were later taken to different hospitals by an ambulance, sources said.
Apart from Nahid Chowdhury, the injured are Nazmul Islam Bahar, former vice-president of Mirpur Bangla College Chhatra Dal, HM Shamim Hossain, activist of Dhaka City South Unit of Chhatra Dal, Labu Bepari, former assistant general secretary of the same unit and Jannat, an activist of Eden College Chhatra Dal.
SM Masum Billah, an assistant secretary of Dhaka City South Unit of Chhatra Dal, said, “We entered the Supreme Court area shelter. But the Chhatra League attacked on us there too. At least 20 to25 JCD activists injured after the attack. Three to four among the injured activists are in critical condition.”
The private car of Supreme Court lawyer and former BNP leader Taimur Alam Khandaker was vandalized during the clash. Later he told the reporters, “We see the signs of a bloody conflict that took place in this country before the national elections. Vandalizing car coming inside the Supreme Court, what type of sign is it? Earlier, we didn’t see anyone to clash inside the Supreme Court.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court administration sat on a meeting after the clash over the security question of the justice-seeking people, lawyers, and the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Registrar General Md Bazlur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of police of Ramna range, and other officials of the Appellate and High Court divisions of the SC were present at the meeting, said Appellate Division registrar Md Saifur Rahman.
The officials said, “The security of the Supreme Court premises will be tightened since Sunday next. Movement will be controlled at the gates of the Supreme Court. Measures will be taken so that the justice-seeking people and lawyers can stay in the Supreme Court without any hindrance. Arrangements will be made to prevent any outsider from entering the court premises.”
Pro-BNP lawyers of the Supreme Court immediately brought out a procession to protest the attack, vandalism and clash in the court premises. They demanded the resignation of the law minister and the attorney general.
DU correspondent adds: A fresh clash erupted between the leaders and the activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Dhaka University (DU) campus on Thursday, while gunfire’ sound was also heard.
“Seven people have received first aid from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, one of them has been admitted so far,” Bacchu Mia, Inspector in-charge of DMCH police outpost, told The New Nation.
Around 30-35 were injured _ 21 of them injured fatally who are under treatment in different Private Hospitals- in this attack,” said Akhter Hossain, convenor of DU unit of JCD.
Abir Ahmed, a journalists of Daily Campus was attacked by BCL while broadcasting the clashes on live. At that time his mobile phone was snatched by BCL men.
“I was broadcasting live coverage of the clashes. At that time the leaders and activists of Chhatra League attacked me and snatched my mobile phone,” Abir said.
The leaders and activists of the JCD have been gathering around the High Court area since this morning as part of the pre-announced protest program. Around 12 pm, they brought out a procession from High Court and proceeded towards Doyel Chattar of Dhaka University.
On the other hand, the leaders and activists of the BCL’s different Hall units took position around Doyel Chattar.
Around 12.15pm, the clashes erupted among two parties. At that time both parties hurled bricks at each other. Rods, stamps, wooden and bamboo sticks were seen in the hands of both JCD and BCL men. Some BCL activists were seen wearing helmets.
After few minutes of the clash starting, JCD men were routed and took asylum on the High Court premises, Press Club and adjacent areas and BCL activists took position in front of High Court.
“We were attacked by BCL in front of High Court and when we made entry into the High Court on the face of attacks, they swooped on us by ramda, rods, stick,” Akhter Hossain added.
“BCL men also used gun during the attack,” he added.
Earlier, JCD announced fresh protest programmes in all the educational institutions across the country on May 26 protesting the attack of May 24.
Meanwhile, different hall units of BCL armed with rods, sticks and creeses took positions at several points of the campus including Modhur Canteen, Doyel Chhattar, Curzon Hall, VC Chhattar and TSC since morning and yelling out slogans so that Chhatra Dal could not get access to the campus.
On May 24 morning, Bangladesh Chhatra League carried out an sporadic attack on the Chhatra Dal while they were on their way to the university’s Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) from emergency gate of DMCH for holding a pre-scheduled press conference at Dhaka University Journalists Association (DUJA) to give a statement clarifying the comment of JCD general secretary Saif Mahmud Jewel which left over 40 person of JCD injured.
The Dhaka University administration filed a case against 300-400 unidentified people over the clash on Wednesday for damaging two buses, trying to thwart the peaceful elections of Senate polls of DU, hitting on-duty doorman of Carzon Hall, trying to make the campus environment worse and damaging the university resources.
