Our JnU Correspondent :The agitating students of Jagannath University (JnU) locked into a clash with the law enforcers in the old Dhaka’s Bahadur Shah Park area on Sunday.Over 300 people including 40 female students, five teachers, JnU unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) president Shariful Islam and general secretary Sirajul Islam and 15 policemen were injured during the clash. Of them, 10 students received bullet injury. Witnesses said the clash erupted about Sunday noon when the agitating students tried to proceed towards the university dormitory Tibet Hall, earlier grabbed allegedly by Hazi Selim MP, ignoring police direction. The JnU turned into a battleground when the angry students tried to break the police cordon and started hurling brickbats at them. In retaliation, police fired rubber bullets, lobbed teargas canisters and charged batons to disperse the agitating students.Both police and students chased each other during the clash. Police finally left the area around 12.45pm but the students continued with their agitation.Lalbagh police deputy commissioner Harunur Rashid said the agitating students had hurled brickbats at police, leaving at least 10 policemen injured. “Police resorted to firing 100 teargas shells to disperse unruly students.”Soon after the clash the agitating students during a press conference declared boycotting of all classes and exams for an indefinite period protesting the police excess on them and to press home their demand under the banner of “Hall Uddhar Committee”.Jagannath University Teachers’ Association President Professor Dr Sarkar Ali Akkas condemned the police action on students and demanded judicial enquiry, removal of Deputy Commissioner of Lalbag Zone Harunur Rashid as well as Kotwali Thana OC Moniruzzaman within 24 hours.The leaders of JnUTA said they would stage a human chain in front of the National Press Club tomorrow (Monday) at 10am wearing black-badge. Kazi Firoz Rashid, MP of Dhaka-6 Constituency, university’s Awami and BNP backed teachers association `Blue panel` and `White panel` employee association, different social and cultural organizations condemned the police attack on students and teachers.Several thousand students of JnU gathered in the campus under the banner of ‘Hall Uddhar Committee’ and brought out a protest procession led by JnU unit BCL President and General Secretary in the morning. They also locked up the main entrance of the university around 8am. The five injured teachers were identified as Professor Ali Noor Chairperson of Accounting Department, Associate Professor Md Nasir Uddin, Chairperson of the English Department, Assistant Proctor Md Abdur Rauf, Lecturer Abul Kalam Azad of Microbiology Department, Lecturer Mashrik Hasan of Finance Department. Among them Nasir Uddin was injured seriously. He was immediately taken to the university medical centre and later admitted to the National Medical College. Sources said, the injured teachers, students were admitted to Mitford Hospital, private clinic Sumona and National Medical College Hospital.An emergency meeting of the university syndicate at the VC’s office was running till filing the report at 7.30pm to review the situation. Additional police have been deployed in the campus to avert further untoward situation. JnU BCL president Shariful Islam, said, “The land grabbers have now turned into public representatives after occupying university dormitories. He (Selim) is earning millions by constructing Gulshan Ara City Complex on the occupied Tibet Hall.” He vowed to continue their movement until the ‘land grabbers’ are removed and the halls are restored to the students.
