Nationalisation Demand: Five injured as police fire rubber bullets on students

At least 20 people were injured while five students and teachers hit with rubber bullets as they were demanding for nationalisation of Bahubal Din Nath Model School yesterday morning in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj.

The incident took place on the premises of Bahubal Police Station around 11:30am when a procession of students and teachers were returning to the school after submitting a memorandum of demand to Shamsunnahar Parvin, upazila education officer.

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Out of the five injured with rubber bullets, Abdul Matin, 55, a teacher of the school, has been admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. Ninth grade students Rezaul Karim and Abdur Rahman and 10th grade students Anhar Ali and Billal Hossain have been admitted to Habiganj Sadar Hospital.

Fifteen other injured are receiving treatments at Bahubal Health Complex, said Abdul Kuddus, on duty physician of the health complex.

Assistant teachers of Bahubal Din Nath Model School, Ashok Das and Golam Mohiuddin said the Upazila Education Office enlisted many newer schools for nationalisation already. This reputed school should have been nationalised ahead of other schools since it was established over sixty years ago.

The students, on way back to school, became agitated and engaged in a scuffle with police after they saw SI Delwar Hossain assault their teacher Ashok Das in front of Bahubal Police Station, said Golam Mohiuddin, adding that at one stage the police started firing from inside the police station without warning. 

Police detained six of the students, yet to be identified, during the clashes, said locals.

Abdul Karim Kim, convenor of Songkhubdho Nagorik Andolon, said the police action was uncalled for and absolutely illegal as every citizen of the country has right to protest.

"The students attacked and vandalised the police station while they were returning from their programme and several of our personnel sustained injuries [during the attack]. We fired rubber bullets to bring the situation under control," said Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Bahubal Police Station.

"A sub-inspector has been withdrawn for misbehaving with the students," he added.

Joydeb Kumar Bhadra, superintendent of Habiganj police, said police fired about a hundred rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas to control the situation. SI Delwar has been withdrawn after the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Habiganj Sabina Alam visited the scene and assured of resolving the matter at the earliest.