UNB, Kushtia :The authorities on Sunday night declared Islamic University (IU) closed from yesterday (August 25) till September 8 following campus violence.Campus sources said the shutdown decision came from an emergency syndicate meeting of its academic council, held amid prevailing tension after BCL activists attacked the vehicles of Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Abdul Hakim Sarker and Pro-VC Prof Dr Shahinoor Rahman.All residential students have been asked to vacate their dormitories by 12 noon on Monday. At least 35 people, including five policemen, were injured as Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men went on the rampage at Islamic University on Sunday.Barred from bringing out a procession protesting the Israeli offensives in Gaza under party banner, the university unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student front of Jamaat-e-Islami, brought another procession under the banner of general students around at 11:30am, said campus sources.As soon as the Shibir men left the campus after the procession, a group of 30-40 activists of the university unit BCL, led by its convener Shamim Ahmed and joint convener Abujar Gifari Gaffar, rushed to the main gate of the university in a procession with sticks in their hands.Soon, they ran amok and vandalised at least 15 vehicles of the university, including a double-decker bus.At one stage, they attacked the vehicles of Vice-chancellor Dr Abdul Hakim Sarker and Pro-VC Prof Dr Shahinoor Rahman while they were returning from the auditorium after attending a programme marking Janmashtami. As policemen tried to bar them from launching the attack, the BCL men engaged in a clash with them. Later, they vandalised the offices of the proctor and student advisor and the administrative building.The unruly men also beat three policemen-constables Tariqul, Monir and Tuhin-when they tried to prevent them.Finally, the law enforcers fired eight rounds of rubber bullet and lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control, leaving 25 BCL men injured, including six with bullets.Besides, five university employees were also faced police action. Five of the injured BCL men were admitted to Kushtia Medical College Hospital while four others to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital.The rest took first aid.Officer-in-charge of Islamic University Police Station Shariful Islam Janak said the BCL men vandalised several vehicles and attacked police.University Proctor Dr Mahbubur Rahman said actions will be taken against whose responsible after investigation.
