Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Students of East West University (EWU) and North South University (NSU) clashed sporadically with police and miscreants in front of their respective campuses in city’s Aftabnagar and Bashundhara areas on Monday.
When a group of EWS students gathered in front of the university around 10:30am, police lobbed teargas shells to disperse them, witnesses said.
The law enforcers along with the miscreants wearing helmets attacked the students on the campus and its adjacent areas, they said. Police and stick-wielding youths ganged up on students at Rampura, lobbing tear gas shells and charging batons at them, said a local businessman after seeking anonymous.
They also attacked on some common people in the area in random without considering the pleas of the victims, he said.
“Police and the miscreants wearing helmets and carrying rods hurled bricks and rocks inside our university campus,” said a student stuck inside the East West University campus. According to him, one tear gas canister was lobbed inside campus and several students were hurt in brick chips hurled from outside the gates.
Besides, a clash broke out among the students of the NSU, police and attackers when the students took position near Bashundhara Gate and staged demonstrations protesting Sunday’s attack on students in Jigatola area of the capital.
Meanwhile, students of Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB) and other nearby universities also gathered in the area.
An armoured car was also seen entering inside the area around 3:40pm, reports media.
Police lobbed tear gas shells indiscriminately towards the students who dispersed into various lanes and alleys in the area.After sensing further bad situation, the authorities concerned of EWU and NSU declared shut the two institutes for today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) till further announcement, campus official sources said.
Meanwhile, police lobbed tear shells, used water cannons and charged batons to disperse a procession brought out by students at Dhaka University campus in the afternoon demanding safe roads and protesting the ongoing attacks on students. Around 300 students under the banner of “Nipiron Birodhi Shikkharthi (Students Against Repression)” brought out a peaceful procession from TSC towards Shahbagh intersection around 3:30pm, said Nishat Pradhan, a student of the University of Liberal Arts (ULAB) who took part in the procession. “But police tried to disperse the peaceful procession as it reached near Shahbagh Police Station,” Nishat said.
The ULAB student said, “The policemen charged batons and fired blank shells at the students in order to disperse them. However, the students formed resistance that lasted almost 30 minutes.”
Then the policemen began throwing tear gas shells and used water cannon on the protesting students and successfully drove them away, Nishat added.
Meanwhile, BCL activists also brought out a procession from Shahbagh area towards TSC at the same time when the students’ rally was moving towards Shahbagh.
In Sylhet, several hundred students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) gathered in front of the main gate of the university. Later, they brought out a protest rally and expressed solidarity with the students of schools, colleges and universities in front of central Shaheed Minar in Chowhatta area of the city.
In Rajshahi, around 300 students formed a human chain on the Paris Road around 11:30am, reports our Rajshahi University correspondent.
The law enforcers along with the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League also dispersed protesting students when they tried to gather in front of Chittagong Press Club yesterday to form a human chain.
Meanwhile, students of 421 educational institutions in Dhaka city at a meeting on Monday decided that they would return to their classes as the government had accepted their nine-point demand for road safety.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has organized the meeting to discuss “Road safety and our doings” at the Nagar Bhaban.
Speaking on the occasion, DSCC Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon urged the students to return to their classes as the government is taking all necessary initiatives to implement all demands of the students.
Oishi Das, a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, said, “I want to return to my classes because the government has accepted all demands of the students. I am urging the government to introduce improved traffic system in front of every schools and colleges”
Maisha, a student of Azimpur Girls’ High School, said, “Our demand is to ensure road safety. The government responded to our demands positively. We all should go back to our classes.”
