DU Correspondent :
A group of Dhaka University (DU) students on Monday blocked Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue near SAARC Fountain intersection in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area in protest against an alleged assault on some of their fellow students by several police and Ansar personnel.The demonstration disrupted traffic on all roads around the intersection for about an hour, creating a long tailback, according to witnesses.
The protesting students alleged that the police beat them mercilessly dragging them down from their university bus at the intersection following an altercation over traffic movement. They also alleged that the law enforcers took away their cell phones during the altercation. Police, however, denied the allegation.
The witnesses said the DU students locked in an altercation with the police officials around 1:30pm when they were trying to get their university bus, ‘Falguni’, passed the crossing in defiance of traffic police’s instruction. Some DU students alleged that three policemen and an Ansar member swooped on the students even after the dispute was resolved and they beat them up mercilessly dragging them down from the university bus. As a number of DU students joined them later, they swooped on a constable and an Ansar member sitting in a human-hauler. However, the three law enforcers were rescued by their senior officers.
They withdrew the blockade after the senior police officials rushed to the spot and apologised to the students for the misconducts of their colleagues. Officer-in-Charge of Kalabagan Police Station Mohammad Iqbal, who also rushed to the spot, told The New Nation that they were investigating the allegation.
