NN Desk :
The students of Barisal University (BU) on Thursday clashed with the police that left at least 10 people injured.
The incident took place when the students of the university blocked the Barisal-Patukhali Highway at Karnakathi over a bus fare dispute. Police went to the spot and tried to convince the students to withdraw the blockade from the highway. Barisal Police’s Deputy Commissioner Golam Rauf Khan told media that the agitating students hurled brickbats into police leaving at least two policemen injured. Police lobbed tear-gas shells, sound-grenades and fired rubber bullets to disperse the students and bring the situation under control. At least 10 people were injured. Most of the injured were sent to the Barisal Medical College Hospital (BMCH).
According to the eyewitnesses, the students of the
university blocked the highway, as one of their fellows was shoved from the bus over bus fare.
Naim Uddin, an LLB student of the BU, boarded into the local bus from Rupatali Bus Stoppage for the campus. He paid Tk. 3.00 as fare but the bus staff demanded Tk. 5.00 from him. The two sides were engaged in argument. After some hot words, the BU student was beaten up and thrown out of the bus, said the eyewitnesses.
Naim Uddin was admitted to the BMCH in critical condition.
Barisal University Teachers’ Association protested and condemned the two separate incidents. General Secretary of the association Shafiul Islam said that police attacked the agitating students, which was unexpected. The incident of attack by the bus staff was also unexpected, he added.
